On Sept. 24, 2021, TMZ announced that William Shatner of Star Trek fame would be reportedly going to space aboard Jeff Bezos’ capsule, New Shepard. William’s seat in the rocket would make him the oldest person ever to go to space at age 90. Why is William Shatner going to space? When will the epic flight take place? And, perhaps the most important question, will they be boldly going where no man has gone before?
Why is William Shatner going to space?
Although the news is unconfirmed, TMZ sources have hinted that the reason William is going to space is intended to be part of a documentary for the Discovery Channel. However, it was also reported that the deal with Discovery allegedly fell through at the last minute. Now, the team has taken the project elsewhere and is currently in negotiations for its release soon. Hopefully, the good press from the announcement of William’s space flight will boost interest in the documentary!
Currently, it’s unclear who else will be on the flight alongside William, but it should be noted that the last civilians onboard New Shepard won seats for $20 million at auction for the chance at space travel. TMZ‘s sources allege that William’s seat will be complimentary, as the documentary would likely not only generate publicity for William but Jeff Bezos and Blue Origin LLC as well.
It sounds like there’s much more information to come about William Shatner’s trip to space. Who knows who will accompany the actor on this journey!