Just over fifty-five years after the premiere of the original Star Trek series, the Enterprise’s Captain James T. Kirk will be taking to the stars. William Shatner of Star Trek, will be going on a space flight in partnership with Blue Origin. On October 12, 2021, the prolific actor will join the New Shepard’s 18th mission, alongside the company’s Vice President of Mission and Flight Operations Audrey Powers and regular crew.
Our Fearless Captain’s Own Blue Origin
Shatner has had a long history of work in Star Trek, giving his famous “Where No Man Has Gone Before” speech that started a cult following for the show. His work also expanded to multiple Star Trek movies starting in the 1970s and onward. He reprised the role of Captain Kirk here until 1994. Over time, the series has held a special place in the hearts of many fans and has seen recent fluxes in popularity with reboots, a new movie and spin-offs. Always one to compete with the Star Wars franchise, it wouldn’t be the same without Shatner.
Kirk Lives On
Shatner himself has stayed relevant in acting and media since the end of his role as Captain Kirk. He is well known for his commercial spot as the Priceline Negotiator. He has even recently taken a role as the host of The UnXplained on The History Channel. However, he still feels a connection to space. It is his own final frontier that he has never gone before. In a tweet, he expressed his excitement at finally being able to be a rocket man himself. At ninety years old, Shatner will set a record as the oldest man in space. Though it will be short-lived and mostly limited to exploring the upper orbit of Earth, Trekkies have been happy to hear it. The series itself, creator included, may have passed. But Shatner keeps that wonder for the cosmic unknown going.
Star Trek’s William Shatner is currently targeted to lift off in his Blue Origin Flight at 8:30 AM CDT on October 12, with live coverage available on Blue Origin’s website.
