Shatner's Suborbital Shot Heralds New Space Age for Civilians

William Shatner’s brief Wednesday rocket ride to space — to boldly go where fewer than 600 men and women have gone before — helped open the door to the final frontier for the average person, giving a glimpse of a future where defeating Earth’s gravity is considered commonplace.

While the 10-minute trip aboard billionaire Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket wasn’t quite akin to commanding the Starship Enterprise, Shatner, the 90-year-old Canadian actor who famously played Capt. James Tiberius Kirk on the popular "Star Trek" TV series, has now officially flown in space.