William Shatner to Travel to Space with Blue Origin

Blue Origin Announces Upcoming Crewed Flight

Blue Origin has revealed the latest individuals slated to experience space travel aboard its New Shepard spacecraft. Joining the mission will be William Shatner, a well-known figure in space exploration media, and Audrey Powers, Blue Origin’s Vice President of New Shepard Mission & Flight Operations.

This flight, set for October 12th, will also include previously confirmed passengers Chris Boshuizen and Glen de Vries, completing the four-person crew.

Shatner to Break Spaceflight Age Record

William Shatner, celebrated for his portrayal of Captain James T. Kirk in “Star Trek,” is poised to become the oldest individual to journey into space. He will surpass the current record held by Wally Funk, who participated in Blue Origin’s inaugural human spaceflight on July 20th with Jeff Bezos.

Shatner’s age is 90, while Funk’s is 82.

First Blue Origin Employee in Space

Audrey Powers will be the first employee of Blue Origin to travel to suborbital space as part of a company mission. She has been a member of the Blue Origin team since 2013.

Prior to her current role with New Shepard, Powers served as the company’s deputy general counsel.

Additional Crew Members

Chris Boshuizen and Glen de Vries were previously announced as passengers last week. Boshuizen is a co-founder of Planet Labs and currently works as a partner at the venture capital firm DCVC.

De Vries is the co-founder of Medidata Solutions, a medical software company that was later acquired by Dassault Systems.

Recent Scrutiny and Safety Concerns

Blue Origin is currently under examination following allegations made by former employee Alexandra Abrams. A letter co-authored with 20 other current and former employees detailed concerns regarding safety protocols and instances of sexual harassment within the company.

Despite these accusations, the launch schedule remains unchanged, although the FAA is reportedly reviewing the safety concerns outlined in the Abrams letter.