Original artwork, not a still
Risk is our business.
— Star Trek: The Original Series · 1966
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Kirk's creed in four words: the Enterprise exists to go where danger is. He turns McCoy's caution against itself by pointing out that every step forward, from flight to the Moon, carried risk. The line has become the unofficial motto of Star Trek's explorer spirit, quoted in speeches about spaceflight and startups, and it is just as often quoted ironically when Kirk's gambles go wrong.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Star Trek: The Original SeriesShow the scene
In 'Return to Tomorrow' (Star Trek, season 2, 1968), the Enterprise answers a call from the dead world Arret, where Sargon, last survivor of an ancient race, lives on as a disembodied mind in a glass sphere. Sargon asks to borrow the bodies of Kirk, Spock and a crew member so that he and two companions can build android bodies. Dr. McCoy warns of the enormous danger of contact with so powerful a being. Kirk replies with a speech about the first Apollo mission and the stars, and closes on this line: risk is what the starship is for.
Sources (2)
- Wikiquote: Star Trek: The Original SeriesReturn to Tomorrow quotesReference checked
- Memory Alpha: Return to Tomorrowsummary and quotesReference checked
Context reviewed
