Going to Space with William Shatner

About This Episode

What was it like to send Captain Kirk to space? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson sits down with William Shatner to discuss his trip into space, Star Trek, and musings about life on Earth. 

We discuss Shatner’s experience with space before his New Shepard flight from Blue Origin and the Amazon documentary about his trip Shatner in Space. What was it like to see the Apollo missions after Star Trek? Did Star Trek help us get to the moon? Why did we stop going to space? We explore Yuri Gagarin’s reactions from space, the space race, and Shanter’s experience travelling the United States. What was it like for Shatner to look down on Earth?

Did he think he would end up in space? Find out what they thought about space on the set of Star Trek. Did they ever think their TV show could become a reality? Neil nerds out with some of his favorite Star Trek moments. What was Shatner’s journey to get to space like? We talk about mortality and the sensation of weightlessness. Was he worried he might die during this trip?

Did space change anything for Shatner? We dive into the environment, the importance of caring for our planet, and the miracles around us. We also explore the significance of Oumuamua and the role of space tourism in society. Should we be sending politicians to space to help open their minds? All that, plus, what does Shatner hope for the future? 

Thanks to our Patrons Jim Dickey, Joey Lord, Alex Lopez, John Atwood, Caroline Gregson, Murtez Alrohani, and James Beall for supporting us this week.

NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can watch or listen to this entire episode commercial-free.