Star Trek’s Patrick Stewart Shares Views on Real Life Space Travel

Sir Patrick Stewart will reprise his role as the iconic Jean-Luc Picard in the upcoming Star Trek: Picard, following the character into the next chapter of his life. Before that, Stewart played Picard for seven seasons on Star Trek: The Next Generation giving the actor, at least fictionally, a lot of experience with space travel. When it comes to real life space travel, however, Stewart has his own views about it and his specific concerns about it and he shared some of them with fans at New York Comic Con this weekend.

ComicBook.com was on hand for the question and answer session when Stewart was asked how he feels about SpaceX and other private space travel. Stewart admitted that he was a little reluctant to get too deep into things but explained that he would rather focus be spent not space exploration, but on solving issues right here on Earth, first.

“This is a very difficult question for me, and I’m kind of reluctant to put my toe into it, but I think I am on record of saying that my unease about the space program and space exploration is that I believe so strongly that we have issues on our own planet that need so much attention and adjustment and endorsement that I think what might happen if we were to propel all those energies, not to say the economics that go into the space program, to making this a world of equal opportunity and equality,” Stewart said.

For fans of Stewart, these comments won’t be terribly surprising. The beloved actor is an outspoken advocate for issues that he finds important, particularly those of inequality and other suffering. He’s well-known for his efforts in the fight against violence against women, having shared his own personal experiences growing up in a home where he watched his father abuse his mother. He is also is an advocate for mental health concerns, supporting the British charity Combat Stress, which helps veterans dealing with combat-related mental health issues.

When it comes to Star Trek: Picard, however, Stewart has previously said that fans may be surprised by what the show has in store for them.

“We are looking at a new world with new objectives, problems, and issues that could not have been raised when we were making The Next Generation and I found that very exciting,” Stewart previously said. “It’s very exciting and people will be surprised and perhaps even shocked.”

Star Trek: Picard comes to CBS All Access on January 23, 2020.