UPDATE: Shatner and his fellow space travelers successfully blasted off just before 11 a.m. ET, and returned a little over 10 minutes later.
“As everyone knows, William Shatner has played an important role in describing and imagining the wonders of universe and inspired many of us to pursue a career in the space industry,” Bob Smith, Blue Origin CEO, said in a statement. “This flight was another step forward in flying astronauts safely and often. It’s an incredible team and we are just getting started.”
Before takeoff, Shatner (or his team) tweeted a quote from Isaac Newton:
Watch a replay in the video below; the rocket blasts off around the 2-hour, 22-minute mark. Blue Origin currently has one more crewed flight this year, and "several more" planned for 2022. Got a little extra cash? Inquire about a flight on Blue Origin's website.
Original Story:Blue Origin's 18th mission (NS-18) is preparing to lift off with none other than Captain James T. Kirk on board. William Shatner is set to achieve what Kirk never really has by traveling into space, albeit briefly.
The launch, scheduled for 10:30am ET this morning if everything goes to plan, is being live-streamed. “I’ve heard about space for a long time now. I’m taking the opportunity to see it for myself. What a miracle,” said William Shatner.
Accompanying Shatner on board NS-18 is Dr. Chris Boshuizen, Glen de Vries, and Audrey Powers. They follow Jeff Bezos, Mark Bezos, aviation pioneer Wally Funk, and Blue Origin’s first customer, Oliver Daemen, all of whom made the trip on the previous launch back in July. Assuming this is a carbon-copy of the Bezos launch, Shatner will enjoy around 11 minutes of flight and travel 62 miles above the planet.