William Shatner says he's 'a little frightened' about going to space next week

A slightly nervous William Shatner is ready to be beamed up.

The Star Trek star is officially set to be launched into space next week on Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket, and he chatted with Today on Tuesday with a week to go until liftoff. Shatner said he's looking forward to seeing things firsthand that "I've only played as an actor," while acknowledging feeling a mix of excitement and anxiety.

"I'm thrilled and anxious and a little nervous and a little frightened about this whole new adventure," he said, adding that he expects the journey to underscore "how important it is to keep the Earth alive so that we don't wreck it."

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Shatner also said he's looking forward to seeing "the vastness of space and the extraordinary miracle of our Earth and how fragile it is." At 90 years old, the Captain Kirk star is set to become the oldest person to ever go to space — and he did have one important question ahead of the flight, jokingly asking, "What do the space guys do if they have to go to the bathroom?" When Al Roker noted that Shatner will probably be fine considering his trip will be just 11 minutes long, Shatner quipped, "When you're 90, 11 minutes can be a long time!"

Shatner's trek to space is set for Oct. 12.