William Shatner will fly to space on Blue Origin’s October 12 launch, the Jeff Bezos-owned company announced Monday. Shatner, who is 90, will become the oldest person to fly to space, a distinction previously held by aviation pioneer and recent Blue Origin crewmember Wally Funk.
Shatner is most famous not for his maverick musical career but for his portrayal of Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek. Bezos is a huge fan of the Trek franchise and even appeared in Star Trek Beyond.
“I’ve heard about space for a long time now,” Shatner says in Blue Origin’s press release. “I’m taking the opportunity to see it for myself. What a miracle.”
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
