Star Trek legend William Shatner may have set the record as the oldest person to visit outer space, but at what cost? Last October, Shatner hopped aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard NS-18 to take a trip to space, this coming decades after he made his debut on television as one of pop culture’s most popular space travelers. At 90 years old, Shatner set a new record with the space visit, and as soon as he joined us back on Earth, the actor spoke about how he was overwhelmed with emotions throughout the whole experience.
Now, Shatner delves deeper into his complete thoughts on the space trip a year later. He spoke at length about the situation in his new book, Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder. In an excerpt from the book published at Variety, Shatner details how it made him feel, noting how he was nervous from the start.
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The sci-fi actor then spoke about what was going through his mind as he saw himself drifting further and further away from his home planet.
William Shanter Was Saddened by Boldly Going to Outer Space
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While in space, Shatner wanted to take a close look at the stars, closer to them than he’d ever been before. Before the trip, he figured this would be thrilling, given how fascinated he has always been by the mysteries of the universe. But Shatner was hit with a very different feeling once he went and took a look directly into outer space.
Shatner explains in the book how this feeling is referred to as the “Overview Effect,” and it has been common among astronauts in years past. It certainly hit him hard, as he also describes the overwhelming sadness that it ultimately made him feel.
You can read more about this experience and other events in Shatner’s life by picking up the book Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder, which is available now, courtesy of Atria Books.
