Shatner Left Saddened by Space Travel

One year after traveling aboard Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin rocket, William Shatner explains how the view of the earth from the edge of space made the actor realize how fragile the planet is.

Meg Godlewski

Monday, October 10, 2022 at 01:50 PM ET

Verified

William Shatner, here with Crew Member 7 Sarah Knights, traveled aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard.[Courtesy: Blue Origin]

Key Takeaways:

Actor William Shatner's space flight at age 90 profoundly impacted him, leading to feelings of grief and a profound realization of Earth's fragility when viewed from space.
He details this emotional experience, which he learned is called the "Overview Effect," in his new book, "Boldly Go," expressing dread over humanity's destruction of the planet.
The "Overview Effect" is a common phenomenon among astronauts, where seeing Earth from orbit instills an instinctive sense of its vulnerability and fosters a shift in worldview, transcending man-made divisions.

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It has been a year since actor William Shatner, best known for his portrayal of Captain Kirk in the Star Trek franchise became the oldest living person to venture into space.

Shatner, then 90, was aboard Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket. After the return to earth, an emotional Shatner struggled to put feelings into words. Now he has done so. In his recently released book, Boldy Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder, Shatner explains how the view of the earth from the edge of space made the actor realize how fragile the planet is.