To Boldly Go Where No Canadian Actor has Gone Before: Blue Origin’s Successful Launch

“Star Trek” actor William Shatner flew to space Wednesday onboard Blue Origin’s second crewed launch. Shatner, accompanied by three other crew members, joked during a brief coining ceremony before riding to the spacecraft.

“Heads we go, tails we don’t,” said Shatner, who played the iconic Captain Kirk in the TV and film franchise.

The 11-minute spaceflight blasted off at 10:50 a.m. EST, carrying Shatner, Vice President of New Shepard Audrey Powers, and customers Dr. Chris Boshuizen and Glen de Vries.

With the launch, Shatner, 90, becomes the oldest person to travel to space. The record was recently set during Blue Origin’s first crewed mission by 82-year-old Wally Funk.

“This is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before,” Shatner said shortly before touchdown.

The mission, NS-18, is part of Blue Origin’s goal to reduce the cost of commercial space travel. New Shepard’s reusable booster rocket, Blue Engine-3, successfully landed back at Launch Site One in West Texas. New Shepard flew completely autonomously, as no pilots were onboard.

Before liftoff, the crew was chauffeured to the spacecraft by Jeff Bezos, who flew on New Shepard’s previous mission, NS-17.

The crew carried with them hundreds of postcards sent from well-wishers around the country that will receive a special “Flown to Space” stamp.

“What you have given me is the most profound experience,” Shatner told Bezos.