William Shatner Went To Space and Took Us Along

Much commentary got written about the Blue Origin flight that took actor William Shatner to the edge of space last week. Some of what I’ve read is amazingly generous toward Mr. Shatner’s experience, with people expressing their thanks for his eloquent reactions shortly after disembarking the capsule. Before flight, NASA tweeted “We wish you all the best on your flight into space. You are and always will be our friend. ” And, many others, including Elon Musk, wished him well. Musk, who heads up Blue Origin rival SpaceX, tweeted, “Godspeed Captain.”

Some other commentary was, well, less than gracious. In fact, some downright scathing comments came from people who should know better. Now, granted, some criticism is (rightfully) directed at the “Party On, DØØdz” atmosphere outside the capsule as Mr. Shatner struggled to put his feelings into words. That insistence on the champagne shower during a powerfully personal moment was, in my view, tacky. And, that sort of criticism is on point. There’s a time to party, but there’s also a time to let the emotions and stories flow.

But, criticism is not what I’m really here to talk about. Nor am I going to get into a discussion about what a “real astronaut” is or “where space begins”. What’s important is what his reaction says about his experience “up there.” And, how he brought that experience home to us.

William Shatner’s Experience was Moving

William Shatner has been taking us to space for decades, albeit on TV and in movies. This time, he did it for real. I’ll say it: I felt strikingly moved by his reactions and words. I suspect that if I’d been in that seat, staring entranced out that window, I’d be the same way upon landing: struggling to describe a few minutes that changed my life.

I think anyone who gets that chance is changed. Certainly, other astronauts describe that feeling of a changed point of view. That is the power of the “Overview Effect“. Yes, they were up there to do a job, but that didn’t stop them from taking the time to appreciate our planet and the stars beyond.

I’ve met Mr. Shatner a few times, and he’s always been very polite and smooth, and he can tell a good story. He has stage presence, understandably so after a lifetime of being an actor. He’s got the chops. Knowing that, and watching him search for words to describe what he experienced, the fact that he WAS so not-smooth, not-glib, and not acting—well, that really touched me. And, it did give me some hope that maybe someday, the rest of us will be able to go to space and experience what he did.

Practicing to go to Space

I’ve spent a large part of my productive career under the dome, creating shows for planetarium theaters. And, often enough, I’ve stood in a dome, watching as Earth rises above the horizon or some other cosmic scene we’ve produced unfold overhead. It never gets old, even though I know how it’s done. It almost feels sometimes like I’m practicing to go to space. And, companies like Blue Origin are offering that chance, as I’ve written before. It may be a while before regular folks get to go, so for many of us, seeing Earth from space is still an experience you get in a dome.

Even that experience has given me a small taste of what it might be like to see the real thing. Those of us in the “dome trade” get to do that for our audiences, and watch as THEY gasp in wonder when the stars come on or a planet rises before our eyes. So, we’re part of the way there. Shatner and others who go before us are telling us that there’s something special to learn, out there.

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