--- title: "William Shatner Is Reportedly Taking a Ride on Jeff Bezos’ Rocket" description: "\"Stark Trek\" acting legend William Shatner will reportedly go to space during Blue Origin's upcoming launch later this year, according to TMZ." date: "2021-09-24" modified: "2021-09-24" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/william-shatner-blue-origin-space" categories: - "Future Society" - "Jeff Bezos" - "Off-World" - "Space" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "blue origin" - "star trek" - "the digest" - "william shatner" --- # William Shatner Is Reportedly Taking a Ride on Jeff Bezos’ Rocket !["Stark Trek" acting legend William Shatner will reportedly go to space during Blue Origin's upcoming launch later this year, according to TMZ.]() *\Image: Blue Origin/Futurism\* ## Kirk in Space Beam me up, Scotty! Acting legend William Shatner, who famously played the role of Captain Kirk on the original run of "Star Trek," will reportedly go to space during an upcoming Blue Origin launch slated for later this year, [according to *TMZ*](). The 90-year-old Canadian actor will be part of the second crew to fly to the edge of space on board the Jeff Bezos-led company's New Shepard spacecraft — which could also make him the oldest person in space, depending on how you define the edge of space. ## Warp Factor Shatner won't be the first senior on a Blue Origin launch. Veteran pilot instructor Wally Funk, who [joined Bezos]() on the first crewed New Shepard mission in July, was 82 at the time of that flight. Sources told *TMZ* that the mission will also be filmed for a documentary. It's still unclear who will join Shatner. The news comes after Bezos himself [took a ride to an altitude of 66.5 miles]() earlier this year, experiencing several minutes of weightlessness. While that's technically past the Kármán line, the internationally agreed-upon boundary between the Earth's atmosphere and outer space, it's a [long shot from entering orbit](), a fact that has [earned him derisive remarks]() from fellow billionaire and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. It's also unclear if Shatner will pay for his own seat, but according to TMZ, he may be getting a free ticket — he is a "Star Trek" legend, after all. **READ MORE:** [Beam Me Up, Jeffy ... ]()[GOING INTO SPACE WITH BLUE ORIGIN!!!]() \[*TMZ*\] **More on Blue Origin:** *[Head of NASA: Jeff Bezos’ Lawsuit Likely to Delay Human Moon Landing]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()