William Shatner once described space as “cold” and likened his journey beyond Earth to attending a funeral. Now, his haunting account is resurfacing online following pop star Katy Perry’s maiden voyage to space.
Perry, along with an all-female crew—Lauren Sanchez, Gayle King, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, and film producer Kerianne Flynn—boarded Blue Shepard on April 14 for a brief spaceflight. While the mission lasted only a few minutes, many critics have pointed to the frivolity and wastefulness of the experience.
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‘Like a funeral’: William Shatner’s words gain traction again
William Shatner, who flew aboard Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin mission in 2021, had previously expressed a deep emotional response to his time in space, calling it more mournful than celebratory.
“My trip to space was supposed to be a celebration; instead, it felt like a funeral,” he had said, describing space as a cold, lifeless void. His quote has now gone viral again as comparisons are drawn between his reaction and the recent Blue Origin flight.
Internet reacts to renewed discussion
An X user with the handle @silvergelpen reposted Shatner’s quote, questioning why anyone who isn’t an astronaut would still want to go to space after hearing such a powerful reflection.
William Shatner, known for portraying Captain James T. Kirk on Star Trek, had hoped the journey would offer cosmic insight. “I thought being up there would be the next beautiful step to understanding the harmony of the universe,” he had remarked.
‘They should’ve sent a poet’
Referencing the 1997 film Contact, Shatner mentioned a moment where Jodie Foster’s character whispers, “They should’ve sent a poet.” However, his own real-life journey didn’t match that cinematic wonder.
Instead, he discovered a stark contrast. “I realized that there is nothing beautiful about space. The true beauty is on Earth, which we’re destroying,” he reflected. That moment made him feel even more connected to the planet.
‘Grief’ in the great beyond
William Shatner described his experience as emotionally devastating. “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.”
Now 94, Shatner said the view from above made him mourn humanity’s impact on Earth. “Every day, we’re confronted with more destruction: extinction of animal species, flora and fauna—life forms that took five billion years to evolve, and suddenly they’re disappearing because of mankind’s interference,” he said.
