New Jersey plane crash kills Blue Origin astronaut who flew with William Shatner
Glenn M. de Vries flew on Blue Origin's Oct. 13 rocket with William Shatner
Actor William Shatner along with Audrey Powers, Glen De Vries and Chris Boshuizen join Neil Cavuto ahead of their launch to space on Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin.
A Blue Origin astronaut who flew on a Blue Origin rocket with William Shatner has died in a New Jersey plane crash.
Glenn M. de Vries, 49, and Thomas P. Fischer, 54, died when a single-engine Cessna 172 crashed on Thursday in Hampton Township.
WILLIAM SHATNER LAUNCHES INTO SPACE ON BLUE ORIGIN ROCKET
This undated photo made available by Blue Origin in October 2021 shows, from left, Chris Boshuizen, William Shatner, Audrey Powers and Glen de Vries. (Blue Origin via AP) (AP Newsroom)
"We are devastated to hear of the sudden passing of Glen de Vries. He brought so much life and energy to the entire Blue Origin team and to his fellow crewmates. His passion for aviation, his charitable work, and his dedication to his craft will long be revered and admired," Blue Origin tweeted on Thursday.
Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket launches carrying passengers William Shatner, Chris Boshuizen, Audrey Powers and Glen de Vries from its spaceport near Van Horn, Texas, Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021. (AP Photo/LM Otero) (AP Photo/LM Otero / AP Newsroom)
De Vries was part of the crew that flew on Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket on Oct. 13 with William Shatner.
De Vries previously said that it is an "incredible opportunity" to work with Blue Origin and advance the space industry.
TODAY -- Pictured: William Shatner on Friday, September 7, 2018 -- (Photo by: Nathan Congleton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images) _____ launch image courtesy: Blue Origin (Photo by: Nathan Congleton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty | Blue Origin / Getty Images)
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"I’ve spent my entire career working to extend people’s lives. However, with limited materials and energy on Earth, extending our reach into space can help humanity continue to thrive," de Vries said. "Furthermore, astronauts can experience the 'overview effect,' gaining a new perspective on how fragile and precious our planet, those resources, and our civilization are. Playing a part in advancing the space industry and one day making those resources and that understanding available to everyone, is an incredible opportunity."
Fox News' Lucas Manfredi and the Associated Press contributed to this report.