Wind delays William Shatner’s sojourn to space aboard Blue Origin
William Shatner’s trip to space will have to wait.
Blue Origin announced on Sunday that its mission operations team decided to push the launch back by one day — from Tuesday until Wednesday — because of forecasted winds.
The launch — which will have Shatner on board along with Blue Origin Vice President of Mission & Flight Operations Audrey Powers and crewmates Chris Boshuizen and Glen de Vries — is now scheduled for Wednesday morning at 8:30 a.m. central time from Launch Site One in West Texas.
The company said its missions operations team confirmed on Sunday that the vehicle being used for the sojourn has met its mission requirements, and the astronauts have started their training.
“Weather is the only gating factor for the launch window,” the company added.
Blue Origin announced last week that Shatner, 90, who is known for his portrayal of Captain Kirk on “Star Trek,” would be blasting into space on the company’s latest mission.
Shatner’s trip this week will make him the oldest person to have ever flown in space, topping the record set in July by Wally Funk, who traveled to the edge of space with Blue Origin Founder Jeff Bezos and two other passengers in a capsule created by his spaceflight company.
Shatner, in a statement last week, called the opportunity to launch into space “a miracle.”
“I’ve heard about space for a long time now. I’m taking the opportunity to see it for myself. What a miracle,” Shatner said.
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