{"id":10933,"date":"2021-10-04T19:39:29","date_gmt":"2021-10-04T11:39:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/blue-origin-says-star-trek-actor-william-shatner-will-fly-to-space-next-week\/"},"modified":"2021-10-04T19:39:29","modified_gmt":"2021-10-04T11:39:29","slug":"blue-origin-says-star-trek-actor-william-shatner-will-fly-to-space-next-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/blue-origin-says-star-trek-actor-william-shatner-will-fly-to-space-next-week\/","title":{"rendered":"Blue Origin says \u2018Star Trek\u2019 actor William Shatner will fly to space next week"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Actor William Shatner. Credit: NASA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Blue Origin confirmed Monday that actor William Shatner, who played Captain Kirk on \u201cStar Trek,\u201d will fly into space on a suborbital launch Oct. 12 from West Texas.<\/p>\n

The announcement Monday followed a report last month by TMZ that sci-fi actor will fly to space on a Blue Origin launch.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, it\u2019s true,\u201d Shatner tweeted Monday. \u201cI\u2019m going to be a \u2018rocket man!’\u201d<\/p>\n

Shatner will fly on the second launch of Blue Origin\u2019s New Shepard booster with human passengers \u2014 and the 18th New Shepard launch overall \u2014 following a first crewed mission in July. On that flight, Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, his brother Mark, aviation pioneer Wally Funk and Dutch teenager Oliver Daemen rocketed to an altitude of 66 miles (107 kilometers), just above the internationally-recognized boundary of space.<\/p>\n

Funk, 82, became the oldest person to fly to space on the July 20 launch. Shatner, 90, will break that record.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve heard about space for a long time now. I\u2019m taking the opportunity to see it for myself. What a miracle,\u201d Shatner said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Shatner will join three others on the New Shepard rocket. Blue Origin announced the first two passengers last week, and the company said Monday one of its executives, Audrey Powers, will also strap in for the ride to space next week.<\/p>\n

Powers, an engineer and a lawyer, is Blue Origin\u2019s vice president of mission and flight operations. She served as an International Space Station flight controller for NASA before joining Blue Origin in 2013.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs an engineer and lawyer with more than two decades of experience in the aerospace industry, I have great confidence in our New Shepard team and the vehicle we\u2019ve developed,\u201d Powers said.<\/p>\n

The flight Oct. 12 is Blue Origin\u2019s first since 21 current and former employees released an open letter alleging sexism and a culture of stifling dissent at the private space company. The employees also raised concerns about the safety of the New Shepard system.<\/p>\n

Blue Origin said in a statement it does not tolerate discrimination of harassment, but a spokesperson did not specifically address safety issues raised in the open letter.<\/p>\n