Star Trek’s William Shatner says space trip ‘really hit home’ how ‘we’re gambling with our planet’-Rachael O'Connor-Entertainment – Metro

Star Trek icon William Shatner has opened up on how his trip to space had a profound effect on him (Picture: Blue Origin)

William Shatner says he fears for his great-grandchildren and the ‘great burden’ they face in the future after his trip to space.

The TV star, 91, is best known for playing Captain Kirk in the beloved cult series Star Trek.

However last year he made headlines for a different reason – becoming the oldest person ever to travel into space.

William blasted off from Texas in a Blue Origin rocket in October last year, where he, along with others on board, experienced zero gravity and saw the planet from an altitude of around 350,000ft.

He described it as an unbelievable’ experience as he became visibly emotional upon returning to the ground.

Now, speaking to The Times, William has opened up on the profound effect the trip had on him, and how it made him appreciate planet Earth more than ever.

The actor blasted off from Texas in October last year (Picture: Blue Origin/ZUMA Wire/REX/Shutterstock)

‘When I went up there and I could see the curvature of the Earth and the vast blackness surrounding it, it really hit home how much we don’t know and how we’re gambling with our planet,’ he said.

‘I couldn’t help but think about the terrible burden that Clive, my two-year-old great-grandchild, is facing when he gets older.’

He admitted that his daughters were worried about him ahead of the trip, and tried to ‘persuade me not to go because they thought it was too dangerous.’

His grandkids, however, ‘thought it was so cool.’

William joined other astronauts hundreds of thousands of feet above Earth (Picture: AP)

William had previously written a note to the Blue Origin’s Club for the Future program for aspiring astronauts, saying it was ‘the most important and practical concept for space use and for aiding in saving planet Earth.’

Speaking in October after landing back on planet Earth, a visibly emotional William said ‘everyone in the world needs to do this.’

‘It was so moving to me,’ he said. ‘This experience has been unbelievable.’

He went on to say it was ‘indescribable,’ and ‘the most profound experience I can imagine.’

William and the other voyagers were applauded on their return to the Earth (Picture: EPA)

‘I am so filled with emotion about what just happened, it’s extraordinary. Extraordinary. I hope I never recover from this. I hope I can maintain what I feel now. I don’t want to lose it. It’s so much larger than me.

‘It has to do with the enormity and the quickness and the suddenness of life and death.’

William was sent to space thanks to Amazon founder and multi-billionaire Jeff Bezos, who embraced the actor on his return.

The star had previously been to space as Captain Kirk in Star Trek (Picture: The Hollywood Archive / Avalon)

His trip came after multi-billionaire Richard Branson also took a trip to space, and multi-billionaire Elon Musk sent up his own rocket, though he did not travel in it himself.

The trips also proved somewhat controversial, with Prince William criticising space tourism and called for the world’s richest to fix Earth’s problems.

Although he did not mention anyone by name, he said the wealthy should be ‘trying to repair this planet, not trying to find the next place to go and live.’

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However William insisted the prince had the ‘wrong idea,’ and said he saw his trip to space as a way of protecting the earth rather than finding a new planet to live on.

He said he wants to see more companies energy resoursing uild bases above the Earth so it doesn’t impact the planet’s ecosystem.

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