MX23RW : Saturday, April 20 11:18:23| >> :600:79365186:79365186:

Star Trek legend William Shatner blasts into space

Star Trek legend William Shatner blasts into space
© Reuters
Star Trek legend William Shatner becomes the oldest person ever to travel into space.

William Shatner has completed a journey into space some 55 years after he made his debut as Captain Kirk in Star Trek.

At the age of 90, the actor also sets a record as the oldest ever person to travel into space, breaking the previous record by eight years.

Shatner and three other astronauts blasted off shortly before 8am PT this morning on board a flight from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's space travel company Blue Origin.

The whole experience lasted just over 10 minutes, with the rocket hitting 2,000mph as it passed the Karman line - the internationally-agreed definition for the start of space, which is at around 330,000 ft.

Having disembarked from the craft, a visibly emotional Shatner said: "Everybody in the world needs to do this. It's incredible. It was so moving. This experience is something unbelievable."

Turning to Bezos, he fought back tears and said: "What you have given me is the most profound experience I could imagine. I'm just so filled with emotion... I hope I never recover from it. I hope I maintain what I feel now."

The journey was the second human flight from Blue Origin, which is aiming to make commercial space travel an affordable reality in the years to come.

ID:467182:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect1509:

Follow us on X/Twitter and like us on Facebook for the latest entertainment news alerts.

Media Mole April Offer: Get Sky Entertainment, Sky Stream & Netflix for just £23 a month + £0 upfront fee for 18 months!
Prices may change during this period. Ends 25th April 2024


Click here for more stories about William Shatner

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Carl Reiner pictured in June 2015
Read Next:
Comedy legend Carl Reiner dies, aged 98
>
rhs 2.0
New TV Picks header

Saturday, April 20


Lulu Night: BBC Scotland, from 9.30pm
An evening of programmes dedicated to the Scottish singing legend

2024: A Hundred Days that Rocked the Royals: Channel 5, 9pm
New documentary looking a tumultuous 2024 (so far) for Charlie and co

Britain's Got Talent: ITV1, 7.30pm
Back for it's 17th year. We all know the drill by now...