The crew of NS-18, Audrey Powers, William Shatner, Chris Boshuizen and Glen de Vries, with CrewMember 7 Sarah Knights. Photo Courtesy of Blue Origin.
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin successfully flew William Shatner — Captain Kirk himself from "Star Trek" — and three other astronauts to space for its second human mission on Wednesday.
Why it matters: The launch was another step toward proving the company can safely launch people to suborbital space and bring them back to Earth.
Details: Shatner was joined for the flight by Blue Origin's Audrey Powers, satellite company Planet's co-founder Chris Boshuizen and Medidata co-founder Glen de Vries.
- Shatner, 90, became the oldest person to fly to space, surpassing Wally Funk, who was aboard Blue Origin's first human flight in July at the age of 82.
What they're saying: "This experience is something unbelievable," Shatner said after returning to Earth and exiting the capsule.
- "What you have given me is the most profound experience I can imagine," he said to Bezos. "I'm so filled with emotion about what just happened. It's extraordinary."
- "I hope I never recover from this. I hope that I can maintain what I feel now. I don't want to lose it. It's so much larger than me and life."
How it works: Blue Origin's New Shepard space system is designed to bring a capsule carrying its passengers about 62 miles above the surface of the Earth.
- The capsule separates from the rocket and the booster comes back down to Earth to land.
- People inside the capsule experience a few minutes of weightlessness before the craft descends back to Earth under parachutes for a landing in Texas.
The big picture: Wednesday's launch came as Blue Origin faces major questions about how it treats its employees and how its culture may impact the safety of its systems.
- "That culture has also taken a toll on the mental health of many of the people who make Blue Origin’s operations possible," a letter written by current and former employees released earlier this month says.
- "Memos from senior leadership reveal a desire to push employees to their limits, stating that the company needs to 'get more out of our employees' and that the employees should consider it a 'privilege to be a part of history.'"
Go deeper: Blue Origin employees accuse company of mishandling harassment allegations
Editor's note: This story has been updated with the details on the successful launch.