William Shatner's Witty Warnings for Gayle King and Katy Perry Before Space Adventure

William Shatner, the man who boldly went where no one his age had gone before, had some colorful advice for Gayle King as she gears up for her upcoming space flight alongside Katy Perry and Lauren Sanchez. The segment, aired on "CBS Mornings," featured Shatner's trademark mix of wisdom, humor, and just a touch of terror.

In 2021, Shatner became the oldest person to travel to space aboard Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin rocket. Now, he’s passing the torch—or perhaps the rocket fuel—to King, who’ll be joining an all-female crew for the April 14 flight. King kicked off the conversation by recalling Shatner’s euphoric post-spaceflight moments. But Shatner quickly steered things into less blissful territory.

"Gayle, take control of your emotions," Shatner advised, adding that as she lies waiting for takeoff, the G-forces might make her feel like she’s going to die. But not to worry—she’s not going to die! "You’re on an adventure! Embrace it!" he exclaimed, as King nervously laughed and covered her face.

The "Star Trek" legend didn’t stop there. He recounted his own pre-launch jitters, including thoughts of hydrogen fueling the ship and the infamous Hindenburg disaster. "Say a mantra," he suggested to King, though she interjected, "This is so not helpful!"

Shatner shared his experience of zero gravity, describing it as "the strangest feeling" that cannot be replicated, no matter how much astronauts practice. He also advised King to prioritize looking out the window during the brief voyage, warning that the experience is over in a flash.

Of course, Shatner couldn’t resist one last nugget: the not-so-glamorous detail about space travel. "Between leaving your bed, dealing with the press, going up and coming back down... no bathroom facilities," he said. "They’re going to give you diapers." Cue King’s nervous laughter.

The space flight, scheduled for April 14, will also feature film producer Kerianne Flynn, NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, and civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, making it a truly stellar crew. Here’s hoping King’s mantra is strong enough to drown out Captain Kirk’s tales of impending doom—and diapers.