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Blue Origin capsule carrying 'Star Trek' actor William Shatner touches down after trip to space

Blue Origin William Shatner Spaceflight crew
Posted at 5:58 AM, Oct 13, 2021
and last updated 2021-10-13 11:48:15-04

It may not have been aboard the USS Enterprise, but "Star Trek" actor William Shatner finally made his way into the great beyond on Wednesday.

Shatner and crewmates Audrey Powers, Chris Boshuizen and Glen de Vries successfully took part in Blue Origin's second-ever manned spaceflight, launching about 60 miles above the Earth and parachuting down in a mission that took about 10 minutes.

Wednesday's launch took place just before 10:50 a.m. ET after numerous delays. The four were originally set to blast off from Blue Origin's "Launch Site One" in rural western Texas on Tuesday, but organizers announced Monday that forecasted high winds had delayed the launch.

Wednesday's launch also saw multiple delays, including one that lasted about 20 minutes.

However, the wait was worth it for Shatner, who at 90 years old, became the oldest person to ever travel to space.

"What you've given me is the most profound experience you could give me," Shatner told Blue Origin and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos after emerging from the capsule. "I'm just filled with emotion with what just happened."

Powers is Blue Origin's Vice President of Mission & Flight Operations and has worked for the company since 2013. Boshuizen and de Vries are two of Blue Origin's paying customers.

Wednesday's launch marked a successful follow-up to the company's inaugural human-crewed flight on July 20. The flight was crewed by Blue Origin and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, his brother, aviation pioneer Wally Funk, and Blue Origin's first customer, Oliver Daemen.