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:

Upon his return from space as the oldest person to venture beyond Earth, William Shatner experienced profound grief and sadness, realizing the extreme fragility of the planet.
Shatner's emotional reaction is identified as the "Overview Effect," a phenomenon common among astronauts where viewing Earth from space instills a powerful sense of its vulnerability and the artificiality of human divisions.
He details these transformative feelings and his journey in his recently released book, "Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder."

See a mistake? Contact us.

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.