Update: We now have a launch date for William Shatner. The AP reports the Star Trek actor will blast off from West Texas on Oct. 12. "Yes, it's true; I'm going to be a 'rocket man!'" the nonagenarian tweeted Monday, adding, "It's never too late to experience new things." In a more official statement cited by the AP, Shatner noted, "I've heard about space for a long time now. I'm taking the opportunity to see it for myself. What a miracle." Our original story from Sept. 24 follows:
William Shatner is scheduled to get a taste of a genuine space flight. TV's Captain Kirk has a seat on the next Blue Origin flight, TMZ reports. The first was successfully completed in July, with owner Jeff Bezos aboard. The drill on the October trip will be similar: a 15-minute trip after a takeoff from Texas, reaching an altitude of 66 miles or so and experiencing zero gravity for a few minutes, then a parachute landing of the capsule.
At age 90, the Star Trek star would become the oldest person ever in space. According to the international standard, the final frontier begins 62 miles out. Shatner has lobbied for a mission before. He tweeted a photo in a Photoshopped spacesuit last year to NASA, per the Independent. Shatner wanted to go to the International Space Station on a SpaceX trip, tweeting, "Just in case; the suit does fit!" Full fare would be expensive, but Shatner's ticket might be complimentary, per TMZ. (More William Shatner stories.)
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