William Shatner becomes oldest person to go to space

Blue Origin launched its rocket New Shepard on Wednesday with an all-civilian crew including Star Trek actor William Shatner, who became the oldest person to make the journey to space at 90 years old. The Blue Origin vessel successfully landed in Texas after reaching the edge of space, as it flew to an altitude of 66 miles. Shatner surpassed 82-year-old aviation pioneer Wally Funk, who set the previous age record just a few months earlier. The NS-18 mission was originally scheduled to fly on Tuesday, but Blue Origin decided on Sunday to delay the launch due to forecasted high winds.

William Shatner, who played the iconic role of Captain Kirk on "Star Trek," has launched into space on a Blue Origin flight. https://t.co/lbEIy8p2E4 pic.twitter.com/Il4rVxewMX

— CNN (@CNN) October 13, 2021