Shatner Completes Trip to Space with Blue Origin Crew

WEST TEXAS (CNS) - Actor William Shatner, one of four crew members on the Blue Origin flight to space Wednesday morning, returned to Earth safely after a successful mission on board the New Shepard.

It was the second human spaceflight for Blue Origin, owned by Jeff Bezos.

Shatner, who played Capt. James T. Kirk in the "Star Trek" TV series and movies, joined Dr. Chris Boshuizen, Glen de Vries and Audrey Powers on the flight.

"At Blue Origin, we are motivated by the dreamers that inspire us andthe builders who turn those dreams into reality. Today's crew represented both dreamers and builders," Blue Origin CEO Bob Smith said in a release.

"We had the honor of flying our very own Audrey Powers, Vice President of New Shepard Operations, who fulfilled a lifelong dream to go to space and has been an integral part of building New Shepard. Our two customers, Chris Boshuizen and Glen de Vries, have built their own successful ventures and have now realized their own dreams of space travel. And, as everyone knows, William Shatner has played an important role in describing and imagining the wonders of universe and inspired many of us to pursue a career in the space industry."

Blue Origin is planning one more crewed flight this year, with more flights planned for 2022. "This flight was another step forward in flying astronauts safely and often," Smith said in the release. "It's an incredible team and we are just getting started."

--By City News Service