Going to Space with William Shatner & Neil deGrasse Tyson

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. Thumbnail photo credit: Blue Origin NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can watch or listen to this entire episode commercial-free. Get the NEW Cosmic Queries book (5/5 ⭐s on Amazon!): https://amzn.to/3dYIEQF Support us on Patreon:   / startalkradio   FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk: Twitter:   / startalkradio   Facebook:   / startalk   Instagram:   / startalk   About StarTalk: Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up! #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson 0:00 - Introduction 1:07 - William Shatner’s Humble Beginnings As An Actor 4:13 - Shatner’s Connection To Space Exploration 13:57 - Why Didn’t We Go Back To The Moon? 14:44 - Our Pale Blue Dot 17:43 - Did Shatner Think He’d Go To Space? 18:24 - What Made Star Trek So Impactful? 21:31 - Neil’s Favorite Star Trek Line 22:42 - Shatner In Space 29:48 - Shatner On Weightlessness 33:38 - Did Space Change Shatner? 39:33 - What Is Omuamua? 42:22 - What Does Shatner Hope For The Future? 48:53 - Closing Notes