William Shatner Describes His Experience in Space

William Shatner’s words today were profoundly moving… and we’re so grateful for his ability and openness to communicate upon returning to Earth. Like he says, we too hope he “never recovers” from this experience and we have an opportunity to hear more of his thoughts, in only the way he can describe them. 

(It was hard to hear over the Champagne celebrations at times during the webcast so MaryLiz made a transcription of the moment)  

Shatner: “In a way it’s indescribable…

You have to work on it because… not only is it different than what you thought, it happens so quickly. You know what my… the impression I have… that I never expected to have… is you’re shooting up and it’s [blue] sky…”

(Champagne interruption)

“I can’t tell you what you have done.

If…. Everybody in the world needs to do this…

Everybody in the world needs to see the…” (begins to cry) “…It was unbelievable, unbelievable. I mean, you know the little things… weightlessness… to see the blue color just.. go WHIP by!!! And now you’re staring into blackness. That’s the thing… the covering of blue… this sheet, this blanket, this comforter of blue that we have around us. We think, ‘Oh, that’s blue the sky!’

And then suddenly you shoot up through it all of the sudden… as if you whip off the sheet off you when you are asleep and you’re looking into blackness. Into BLACK UGLINESS… And you look down and there’s the blue down there… and the black up there and it’s… it’s just… there is Mother Earth… and comfort… and there is ….is there death?  I don’t know! Is that death? Is that the way death is?? WOOP, and it’s gone! Jesus…

It was so moving to me… this experience …it’s something unbelievable. You see it… yeah, you know… weightlessness… my stomach went up and I thought, ‘God, this is so weird…’ but not as weird as the covering of blue… this is what I never expected. Oh, it’s one thing to say, ‘Oh… the sky and the thing and the… gradual…’ It’s all true… but what isn’t true… what is unknown until you do it is… is this pillow.. There’s this soft blue… look at the the beauty of that color! And it’s so THIN! And you’re through it in an instant… It’s what…? How thick is the [atmosphere]? Is it a mile?!” 

Jeff: “Depends on how you measure it, because it thins out but maybe 50 miles…”

Shatner: “But you’re going 2,000 miles an hour, so you’re through 50 miles at whatever the mathematics [says]… you know, like a beat and a beat and suddenly you’re through the blue! And you’re into black! And you’re into… you know it’s ‘Ahhh, it’s mysterious and galaxies and things…’ But what you see is BLACK. And what you see down there is LIGHT. And that’s the difference! 

And not to have this?!

*Grabs Jeff’s shoulders*: “You have done something… I mean, whatever those other guys are doing… what isn’t …they don’t… I don’t know about them… What you have given me, is the most profound experience … “ *begins choking up* “ …I could imagine. I’m so filled with emotion, about what’s just happened..… it’s extraordinary. It’s extraordinary. 

I hope I never recover from this. I hope that I can maintain what I feel now… I don’t want to lose it. It’s so… so much larger than me and life and it hasn’t got anything to do with the little green planet and the blue orb.. it has to do with the enormity… at the quickness and the subtleness of life and death and then oh my God! “ * cries *

Jeff: “It’s so beautiful.”

Shatner: “Beautiful! Yes… beautiful in its way but..”

Jeff: “No, I mean your words.”

Shatner: “Oh! My words…”

Jeff: “It’s just amazing.”

“I don’t know, I can’t even begin to express what I …what I would love to do is to communicate as much as possible … the jeopardy… the the the moment you see how… The vulnerability of everything, it’s so… small. This AIR which is keeping us alive is thinner than your skin! It’s… it’s a… it’s a sliver! It’s immeasurably small when you think in terms of the Universe! It’s negligible! This air… Mars doesn’t have it! No… nothing… I mean, this… 

And when you think about … when carbon dioxide changes to oxygen and, what is it, 20% of …that level that sustains our life? 

Jeff: “mmhmm”

Shatner: “It’s so THIN! To… to.. To dirty it… I mean, that’s another whole subject… “

Jeff: “And you shoot through… what you were saying about… you’re shooting through it so fast!”

Shatner: So quickly! 50 miles and you’re…”

Jeff: “And then you’re… you’re in blackness!”

Shatner: “And you’re in death!”

Jeff points down: “This is life…”

Shatner: “This is life, and that’s death! THAT’s what I saw… Phew….

I am … I am overwhelmed. I had no idea. You know, we were talking earlier before going… ‘well, you know it’s going to be different… yeah!’ And whatever that phrase you have… that you have a different view of things… that doesn’t BEGIN to …to… explain to describe what …what a prof… what, for me, … and ever

It would be SO important for everybody to have that experience through one means or another. I mean, maybe you can put it on 3D and wear the goggles….” laughs, “and have that experience… I mean, that… there’s certainly a technical possibility. But, what you need also… 

We’re lying there… and I’m thinking … one delay after another delay and I’m thinking, ‘How do I feel?’ And I’m thinking, ‘Ah, I’m a little jittery here…’ And we moved the [page]… ‘Oooh! There’s something in the engine… There’s an anomaly in the engine!’ They found an anomaly in the engine!“ Jeff and Shatner laugh and Shatner goes on, “‘We’re going to hold a little longer’ — ‘Oh, you’re going to hold a little longer?!’ And I feel this… you know, the stomach, the… biome inside and I think ‘okay, I’m thinking I’m a little nervous here,’ another delay, ‘I’m a little more nervous!’ and then the thing starts….

By the way, the simulation is… they have to be more… it’s ONLY a simulation. Everything else is MUCH more powerful. It doesn’t capture… and besides… the jeopardy… BANG! This thing hits! You know… that wasn’t anything like the simulation! All the g-forces…!”

They both laugh as Jeff says, “The g-forces pull your skin back!” 

Shatner: “What’s going to happen to me?! Am I going to survive the g-forces?! Am I going to survive it?! And then I think, good lord, just getting up the bloody gantry was enough!

Oh my god! What an experience… Woooof! Nothing NOTHING… “

Jeff: “It looks like you had a moment of camaraderie with your… crew mates up there”

Oh, we all hugged together…. You know, it’s like being in battle together really… and there is this bonding of being in battle.

But you’re also embattled inside yourself…  oh my goodnesss… I have had an experience.”

Blue Origin: “Ok we are going to pin you guys now!”