NBCUNIVERSAL EVENTS -- NBCUniversal Press Tour Portraits, August 2016 -- Pictured: William Shatner, "Better Late Than Never", poses for a portrait in the the NBCUniversal Press Tour portrait studio at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on August 2, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/NBC/NBCUPhotoBank via GettyImages)

585274904

NBCUNIVERSAL EVENTS -- NBCUniversal Press Tour Portraits, August 2016 -- Pictured: William Shatner, "Better Late Than Never", poses for a portrait in the the NBCUniversal Press Tour portrait studio at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on August 2, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/NBC/NBCUPhotoBank via GettyImages)

Photo by: Christopher Polk/NBC

Christopher Polk/NBC

William Shatner is going where no 90-year-old has gone before

By: Ashley Hamer

The Star Trek star will become the oldest person to go to space when he launches aboard a Blue Origin rocket on Wednesday, October 13. Watch live coverage on Space Launch LIVE: Shatner in Space on Discovery and Science Channel starting at 8:30A ET with liftoff scheduled for 10A ET.

October 04, 2021

(Updated 10/12/21)

Discovery and Science Channel brings viewers the highly-anticipated launch of Star Trek star William Shatner as he takes his first flight into space -- at the age of 90, soon to be the oldest person to fly to space -- on Blue Origin's New Shepard, a cutting-edge suborbital rocket.

Scheduled for Wednesday after weather delays, the mission, known as NS-18, will launch from Blue Origin's West Texas site. The flight will last just 11 minutes and travel beyond the internationally recognized boundary of space known as the Kármán Line, 62 miles above the Earth. This will be the second-ever crewed spaceflight for Blue Origin after its inaugural crewed flight launched founder Jeff Bezos and three other passengers on a 10-minute trip to space and back in July.

But Shatner won’t be alone on his record-breaking mission. He’ll be joined by two paying customers: Chris Boshuizen, co-founder of the nanosatellite company Planet Labs; and Glen de Vries, co-founder of Medidata, a software company that specializes in clinical research.

Shatner is flying as a guest of Blue Origin, whereas Boshuizen and de Vries took part in an auction for a seat on Blue Origin’s first flight. That seat cost $28 million.

Rounding out the four-person crew is Blue Origin executive Audrey Powers, who worked as a flight controller for NASA before joining the company.

Shatner’s inclusion on the spaceflight is fitting, as he spent much of his career portraying the commander of a starship in his role as Captain Kirk in the original “Star Trek” television series, along with seven feature films.

The parallel wasn’t lost on him. “Yes, it’s true; I’m going to be a ‘rocket man!’” Shatner said on Twitter.

This is Blue Origin’s second human flight into space. The first, which took place in July, included Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos and his brother Mark Bezos. That flight also sent both the oldest and youngest people to space: 18-year-old physics student Oliver Daemen and 82-year-old Wally Funk, a pioneering female aviator and aspiring astronaut. Shatner will beat Funk’s record by 8 years.

“I’ve heard about space for a long time now. I’m taking the opportunity to see it for myself,” Shatner said in a statement. “What a miracle.”

Next Up

Quiz: Test Your Space Exploration Knowledge

Ahead of the historic May 27th NASA and SpaceX crewed space launch, test your space exploration knowledge!

Launch of SpaceX’s Starlink: A “Mega-Constellation” of Internet Satellites

Starlink is a growing network of satellites capable of providing high-speed internet access across the globe. On August 7 at 1:12 AM EDT, a new batch of satellites will launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Space Launch LIVE Discussion Guide

Tune into Discovery Channel and use this companion discussion guide to spark meaningful conversation about the next era of space flight. Stream SPACE LAUNCH LIVE on discovery+.

What Could Delay the Historic SpaceX and NASA Launch?

Detailed planning and test after test do not always mean smooth sailing in space flight.

Everything You Need to Know About NASA & SpaceX's Historic Launch Day

Get the play-by-play on everything that happened from launch preparations and tests to liftoff and dock with the ISS. (Updated 5/31/20)

We Have Liftoff: Congratulations to NASA and SpaceX

Here's to NASA, SpaceX, Astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, and all of the engineers, scientists, and staff involved with the Saturday, May 30th historical launch.

NASA and SpaceX to Launch a Crewed Mission to ISS in May 2020

For the first time since its conception 18 years ago, SpaceX, along with NASA, will launch a crewed mission to space.

NASA and SpaceX are Going on a Date, and We're All Invited

Save the date--On May 27th, if everything goes as planned, a rocket will launch from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Watch SPACE LAUNCH LIVE: AMERICA RETURNS TO SPACE on Discovery and Science Channel starting at 2P ET.

Meet the Not-So-Secret Space Airplane

The United States Space Force may have a somewhat silly name, but it's very, very real. And it just launched a semi-secret mission into space.

Large Rocket Debris Impacts Earth Off African Coast

The fourth largest piece of space debris ever re-entered the earth's atmosphere yesterday and made a splash just off the coast of Africa. Narrowly missing some major landmarks in its path, this piece of a rocket could have caused some major damage.

Related To: