‘Star Trek’ actor William Shatner says Blue Origin spaceflight ‘felt like a funeral’

Seeing Earth from above prompted a powerful shift in how he views the planet and life

The New Shepard rocket carrying 'Star Trek' actor William Shatner launches from West Texas on October 13, 2021. AFP

The New Shepard launch was the rocket's second manned voyage into space. AFP

Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket is being prepared for mission NS-18 in October 2021. Reuters

New Shepard NS-18 mission crew member William Shatner rings the bell before lift-off. Accompanying the 'Star Trek' actor are Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, in rear, and crew members Chris Boshuizen, front, the co-founder of Planet Labs, and Blue Origin’s vice president of mission and flight operations, Audrey Powers. The fourth member of the crew, who is not pictured, is Medidata Solutions co-founder Glen de Vries. AFP

Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket is prepared for mission NS-18 in a still image from video. Reuters

The New Shepard NS-18 mission flight team, Audrey Powers, William Shatner and Glen de Vries ride to the launchpad. AFP

Staff monitor Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket as it is prepared for mission NS-18. Reuters

Onlookers assemble to watch the Blue Origin New Shepard rocket blast off. Reuters

Members of the media gather before Blue Origin’s New Shepard lifts off from the launchpad. AFP

Chris Boshuizen, Glen de Vries, Audrey Powers and William Shatner are presented with commemorative coins before their suborbital flight. Reuters

The New Shepard rocket sits at the launchpad. AFP

From left: Chris Boshuizen, William Shatner, Audrey Powers and Glen de Vries. Their launch is Blue Origin’s second passenger flight, using the same capsule and rocket that Jeff Bezos used for his own trip in July 2021. AP

Blue Origin’s New Shepard lifts off from the launchpad carrying 90-year-old 'Star Trek' star William Shatner and three other civilians near Van Horn, Texas. AFP

The capsule of Blue Origin’s New Shepard mission NS-18 is surrounded by ground crew after landing by parachute near Van Horn, Texas, in a still image captured from video. Reuters

Billionaire Jeff Bezos gives a thumbs-up outside the capsule of Blue Origin’s New Shepard mission NS-18 after it landed by parachute near Van Horn, Texas. Reuters

Billionaire Jeff Bezos welcomes the four passengers on Blue Origin’s New Shepard mission NS-18 after landing near Van Horn, Texas. Reuters

Jeff Bezos, third left, greets Canadian actor William Shatner as he emerges from the capsule after landing near Van Horn, Texas, on October 13. The mission carried Shatner, Audrey Powers, Blue Origin's vice president of mission and flight operations, and customers Chris Boshuizen and Glen de Vries. EPA

William Shatner, who at 90 years of age became the oldest person to travel to space, discusses the suborbital flight with Jeff Bezos. EPA

William Shatner and Jeff Bezos after New Shepard's NS-18 mission. EPA

Recovery crews reach the New Shepard NS-18 mission capsule after landing on October 13. 'Star Trek' actor Shatner went where no nonagenarian has been before. AFP

The moment of lift-off as William Shatner and his fellow travellers aboard the New Shepard headed for a brief visit to space. EPA

Star Trek actor William Shatner has said everything he expected to see during his trip to space on a Blue Origin flight “was wrong” and that the experience “felt like a funeral”.

Aged 90, Mr Shatner became the oldest person to travel to space when he blasted off to the edge of space on a Blue Origin rocket on October 13, 2021.

Now, he has reflected on his voyage in his new book called Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder. An excerpt of it was published in Variety last week.

“It was among the strongest feelings of grief I have ever encountered,” he said.

“The contrast between the vicious coldness of space and the warm nurturing of Earth below filled me with overwhelming sadness.

“Every day, we are confronted with the knowledge of further destruction of Earth at our hands: the extinction of animal species, of flora and fauna … things that took five billion years to evolve, and suddenly we will never see them again because of the interference of mankind.

“It filled me with dread. My trip to space was supposed to be a celebration; instead, it felt like a funeral.”

Mr Shatner flew to the edge of space on the NS-18 mission — the second space tourism flight by Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin — with three other passengers.

The entire experience, from launch to landing, lasted about 10 minutes.

A fully reusable suborbital vehicle lifts off from a remote desert in west Texas, carrying passengers 106 kilometres above the ground, bringing them a few minutes of weightlessness as well as stunning views of Earth against the darkness of space.

The capsule then descends towards the Texas desert under three parachutes and retro engines, bringing the passengers safely back to the ground.

Mr Shatner’s experience in space is what many astronauts and psychologists call the “Overview Effect”.

It is often described by astronauts as a powerful shift in how a person views the planet and life.

“I learned later that I was not alone in this feeling. It is called the 'Overview Effect' and is not uncommon among astronauts,” Mr Shatner said in his book.

“Essentially, when someone travels to space and views Earth from orbit, a sense of the planet’s fragility takes hold in an ineffable, instinctive manner.

“It can change the way we look at the planet but also other things like countries, ethnicities, and religions; it can prompt an instant re-evaluation of our shared harmony and a shift in focus to all the wonderful things we have in common instead of what makes us different.”