Lauren Sánchez and Jeff Bezos.Photo: Lauren Sanchez/Instagram
Jeff BezosandLauren Sánchezare looking forward toWilliam Shatner’s big day!
On Monday, the Emmy-winning journalist, 51, shared a photograph of herself and the Amazon billionaire, 57, holding hands after arriving in Texas, where Shatner will soon become theoldest person to blast off to space.
“Boots on the ground in Texas for @blueorigin launch,” shecaptioned the snap. “Can’t wait!”
Sánchez also made the trip to Texas in July tocelebrate her partner’s own successful trip to space, which marked thefirst space flight with humans on boardfor Bezos' aerospace companyBlue Origin.
(L-R) Lauren Sánchez and Jeff Bezos.Prodip Guha/Getty
“Due to forecasted winds in West Texas we are pushing#NS18launch target to Wednesday, October 13,” theywroteon Twitter, adding that lift off was tentatively scheduled for 8:30 a.m. local time.
Opening up about the change onGood Morning AmericaMonday, theStar Trekactor said that although he was “deeply disappointed,” the trip would be worth the wait.
“I’m deeply disappointed because I was building up the enthusiastic response, now we have to wait another day,” he said. “[But] it’s really worth it. What’s a day with this extraordinary experience that we’re about to have?”
Joining the star on the NS-18 mission will be Audrey Powers, Blue Origin’s Vice President of Mission and Flight Operations. Crew members Chris Boshuizen and Glen de Vries will also be on board the flight.
“I’ve heard about space for a long time now,” Shatner previously said in a statement. “I’m taking the opportunity to see it for myself. What a miracle.”
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However, Shatner is aware of the risk that comes with the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“I’m terrified,” he joked while speaking at a New York Comic Con panel last week, days after the exciting news was announced.
“I’m Captain Kirk, and I’m terrified going to space,” he added. “You know, I’m not really terrified. Yes, I am. It comes and goes like a summer cold.”
As for how the mission came to be, Shatner explained during the panel that his friend,Better Late Than Neverproducer Jason Ehrlich, first brought up the idea.
“So he continued to sell me on the idea and bless his soul,” he continued. “Blue Origin is the idea.”
According to theofficial website, the New Shepard suborbital vehicle seats six astronauts, and since the ship is “fully autonomous,” there is no pilot. The reusable craft takes 11-minute flights into space, “designed to take astronauts and research payloads past the Kármán line — the internationally recognized boundary of space.”
source: people.com
