Patrick Stewart, who died on Wednesday, was many things to many people: a world-renowned actor, a knight of the realm, a patron of the arts, a tireless fighter for raising awareness of domestic abuse. And for millions, Mr. Stewart will chiefly be remembered as Jean-Luc Picard, the stoic, pacifist captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise who first appeared in “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”
Mr. Stewart’s iconic character was also a source of inspiration for thousands of space scientists.
On social media, the real-life explorers and chroniclers of the cosmos — including astronauts, astronomers and science communicators — mourned the loss of Mr. Stewart, often referring to him by his Starfleet rank. Grant Tremblay, an astrophysicist, wrote: “Ad astra legend. You were the captain of my childhood.” Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, a theoretical cosmologist and author, said: “Rest in peace, our Captain,” adding that his on-screen role was “life changing for me and so many.”
In a social media post, Mark McCaughrean, an astronomer based in Europe, said that he hoped Mr. Stewart “knew how influential that programme was across astronomy.” After all, he added, it’s no coincidence that the James Webb Space Telescope “was originally and for many years called the Next Generation Space Telescope.”
“Star Trek” has also encouraged some to pursue an unusual career path: protecting the planet from cosmic catastrophes. NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office, in Washington, coordinates U.S. efforts to monitor space for asteroids headed toward Earth and conjure up spaceflight missions designed to swat them away. Both its founder, Lindley Johnson, and its acting planetary defense officer, Kelly Fast, have cited the show as a key inspiration for their work.
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, in Greenbelt, Md., also chimed in with a post on X. “History will never forget the name Captain Picard,” it read. “Thank you for inspiring the Next Generation of explorers.”
NASA in particular has a long history with “Star Trek.” In 1976, the space agency unveiled the very first space shuttle. It was named Enterprise — a decision made after the White House received letters from almost 100,000 “Star Trek” fans.
Picard would doubtless have found common ground with many NASA scientists. The character once said, “Things are only impossible until they’re not,” something echoed in the motto of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Dare mighty things.
Unlike previous members of Starfleet, Picard was not a buccaneer. He was a diplomat (and an amateur archaeologist) as much as he was a galactic pathfinder. Picard was suffused with empathy and a yearning to see and understand as much about the universe as he could, as peacefully as possible.
In other words, Picard was an exemplary astronaut-scientist, providing inspiration for real-world space travelers.
During a panel for a film festival in 2017, Mr. Stewart told the story of a televised call he had with several astronauts aboard the International Space Station. “Before we get into this any further, Captain, I have to know: Why would you — a real astronaut — want to have a conversation with a fake one?” he recalled asking a crew member at the time. “He said, ‘Because I wouldn’t be here doing this if it weren’t for you.’”
The astronaut then told Mr. Stewart that he had something to show him on camera. “It was a photograph of him,” Mr. Stewart said, “and all his fellow crew members — not Photoshopped, but actually wearing ‘Star Trek’ uniforms.”
When asked about his desire to travel into space, Mr. Stewart said he was keen to follow in Picard’s footsteps. “I would go like a shot,” he said in a 2020 interview with AARP magazine.
“Star Trek” frequently showcased an optimistic version of humanity. By the 23rd century, humans had persisted through a series of global conflicts to become an interstellar species while also transforming Earth into a near utopia. Both Mr. Stewart and his fictional counterpart were wary of efforts to aggressively militarize the final frontier.
Today, the prospect of space warfare looms large, with the United States, Russia and China all showing strong interest in developing and deploying weapons into Earth orbit. In a 2014 interview, Mr. Stewart said that “Picard saw force as a last resort. Absolute last resort.”
Mr. Stewart never got his chance to venture into space. But it may not be long before he ends up there, in a manner of speaking. Several asteroids have been named after various “Star Trek” alumni, including Leonard Nimoy, the actor who played Mr. Spock, and Nichelle Nichols, who played Lieutenant Uhura.
Perhaps Mr. Stewart’s name will eventually be attached to a space rock, too. Astronomers: Make it so.
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