Actor William Shatner is counting down to his wildest role yet: riding a rocket into space, courtesy of Star Trek fan Jeff Bezos.
Best known for his role as Captain Kirk, the 90-year-old will join three other passengers for the launch in Texas.
Mr Bezos’ space travel company, Blue Origin, invited Shatner on the brief jaunt to the fringes of the final frontier, which will make him the oldest person in space.
The trip will stream live here this afternoon:
It will be Blue Origin’s second passenger flight, using the same capsule and rocket that Mr Bezos used for his own launch three months ago.
The trip should last just 10 minutes, with the fully automated capsule reaching a maximum altitude of about 66 miles before parachuting back into the desert.
Virgin Galactic’s Richard Branson kicked off the US-based space tourism boom on July 11th, riding his own rocketship to space.
“We are just at the beginning, but how miraculous the beginning is.” @WilliamShatner is ready to go to space. #NS18 pic.twitter.com/u3MnOAbWtW
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) October 12, 2021
Mr Bezos followed nine days later aboard his own capsule.
Elon Musk stayed behind as his SpaceX company launched its first private flight last month, sending a billionaire, a cancer survivor and two ticket winners into orbit.
And last week, the Russians sent an actor and film director to the International Space Station for movie-making.
“We’re just at the beginning, but how miraculous that beginning is. How extraordinary it is to be part of that beginning,” Shatner said in a Blue Origin video posted on the eve of his flight.
“It looks like there’s a great deal of curiosity about this fictional character, Captain Kirk, going into space. So let’s go along with it and enjoy the ride.”
Rounding out the crew are a Blue Origin vice president and two entrepreneurs who bid unsuccessfully for a seat on the previous flight with Mr Bezos, the founder of Amazon. Blue Origin did not divulge their ticket prices.
Mr Bezos was at the expansive launch and landing site near Van Horn, Texas, to see the four off.
