William Shatner offers Gayle King advice before Blue Origin’s women-led space flight: “You’ve got to embrace it”

William Shatner, who made history in 2021 as the oldest person to travel to space at age 90, is offering candid advice to Blue Origin’s all-female crew preparing for their own journey beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

“You’re on an adventure. You’ve got to embrace it,” Shatner said to Gayle King, who is part of the crew, during a recent interview. The 94-year-old actor, best known for his role as Captain Kirk in “Star Trek,” traveled aboard the first Blue Origin human flight in October 2021.

As the all-female flight prepares for launch on April 14, Shatner emphasized that the experience would be unlike anything they could imagine, particularly the sensation of weightlessness.

“There are no words in the English language to explain what weightlessness is like,” Shatner said. “It is the strangest feeling. Nothing is like it, not swimming in a pool where they have the astronauts. Nothing is like it.”

The actor warned about the intense G-forces during takeoff but encouraged the crew to use mantras to stay focused during the journey. 

Despite the challenges, Shatner said it is a rare opportunity. 

“You’re going to see the world like nobody. Only 600 people have seen it before,” he said.

Watch live coverage of “CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King’s trip to space aboard a Blue Origin rocket on Monday, April 14, starting at 9 a.m. ET on CBS, CBS News 24/7 or Paramount+. King is joining a historic all-women flight crew, traveling to space alongside Katy Perry, Lauren Sánchez, Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyen and Kerianne Flynn.