Science

William Shatner's trek to space is delayed as Blue Origin moves New Shepard's launch day

side by side images william shatner blue origin rocket launching and jeff bezos with hands together praying
AP Photo/Steven Senne; Blue Origin; Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters
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"Star Trek" actor William Shatner was supposed to head to space on a Blue Origin aircraft on Tuesday, but the trip was delayed because of weather. 

The delay was announced by the spaceflight company, which is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. The company said there were winds forecasted near its Launch Site One in West Texas. 

"As part of today's Flight Readiness Review, the mission operations team confirmed the vehicle has met all mission requirements and astronauts began their training today. Weather is the only gating factor for the launch window," the company said in their announcement.

Shatner's flight on the company's New Shepard launch system is now scheduled for Wednesday. He will be Blue Origin's first celebrity passenger. 

This is set to be the company's second crewed flight. In July, Blue Origin launched its first passenger spaceflight sending Bezos, his brother Mark, 18-year-old Dutch high school graduate Oliver Daemen, and Wally Funk, an 82-year-old aviator, 62 miles above sea level, where experts say space begins.  

Shatner, 90, is set to be the oldest person to reach the boundary of space. 

"I'm thrilled and anxious and a little nervous and a little frightened about this whole new adventure," Shatner previously told the "Today" show.

Insider's Morgan McFall-Johnsen reported that Blue Origin employees wrote an open letter expressing concern over the safety of the New Shepard launch system and said they wouldn't fly on it themselves. 

Shatner and Blue Origin did not respond to Insider's email request for comment at the time of publication. 

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Sarah Al-Arshani is a breaking news reporter for Insider. Before joining Insider, Sarah was an editorial intern with The Jordan Times. She graduated from the University of Connecticut in May 2019. Her work has also been published in local newspapers in Connecticut such as the Republican-American newspaper and Willimantic Chronicle. She can be reached by email at salarshani@jkmperu.com or on Twitter @s_arshani. Popular articles  Trump signed a law to punish China for its oppression of the Uighur Muslims. Uighurs say much more needs to be done.  Travel nurses say the current healthcare system is 'unsustainable' as COVID-19 infections surge again. Some say the pay is the only thing keeping them on the front lines. Healthcare workers say some COVID-19 patients and their families are demanding unapproved therapies A lawyer filed more than 100 lawsuits over vanilla flavoring in foods and drinks, arguing most of it is fake While the world focuses on the coronavirus, people in China with other illnesses may pay a price long after the outbreak ends