The Oldest Person To Travel To Space

In 1962, John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth. Over 35 years later, at the age of 77, he flew aboard a space shuttle mission and became the oldest person to reach space. Unlike William Shatner and Wally Funk, Glenn's trip went into orbit, which required a much more powerful rocket than the one used by Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft.

2021 The New Record For Oldest Person To Travel To Space

At 90 years old, William Shatner became the oldest person to reach the edge of space aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft on Wednesday. Shatner, who is best known for his role as Captain James T. Kirk in the original "Star Trek" series, crossed the Kármán line, which is the recognized boundary between Earth's atmosphere and space located approximately 63 miles above the planet. After landing in West Texas, Shatner and three other passengers exited the capsule and were greeted by Blue Origin owner Jeff Bezos. The actor became emotional as he spoke about the experience of seeing Earth from space and the vast blackness of outer space, which he said demonstrated the fragility of everything. Shatner also remarked on the thinness of the atmosphere that keeps humanity alive, likening it to being thinner than one's skin.

Overcome with emotion, William Shatner tearfully expressed his feelings to Jeff Bezos, saying "I'm so filled with emotion with what just happened." He then added, "I hope I never recover from this," indicating the profound impact the experience had on him.

A short reign for Wally Funk

On July 20, 2021, Wally Funk broke the record held by John Glenn for 23 years, becoming the oldest person to go to space at the age of 82. She flew on Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft during its suborbital flight. However, her record was later surpassed by William Shatner's flight on October 13 of the same year, as he was 90 years old at the time. Nevertheless, Funk still holds the record for the oldest woman to have traveled to space.