Star Trek: Ad Astra Per Aspera's Meaning & Origin Explained

"Star Trek" has always functioned as the thinking man's sci-fi show. And this can readily be seen in how often Latin has come up across the franchise. The Borg seems fond of Latin, but that could've emerged from assimilating a species that knew it. The same goes for the Romulans, whose homeworlds — Romulus and Remus — are named after the twin brothers who founded Rome. As such, it should come as no surprise to see "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" use Latin in the title for Season 2, Episode 2 — "Ad Astra per Aspera."

Many "Star Trek" episodes have titles derived from Latin, but this one should be intriguing for fans. It has several possible definitions that all mean roughly the same thing. "Ad astra per aspera" could translate to "through hardships, to the stars" or "to the stars through difficulties." Its origins could go back to Virgil's "Aeneid," which contains the passage "sic itur ad astra," which means "thus one journeys to the stars." Basically, it means if one wants to achieve greatness, one must be ready to endure hardship. 

Numerous organizations have used the phrase over the years; it's the official state motto of Kansas. But it holds special significance for this particular episode of "Strange New Worlds."

This isn't the first time "ad astra per aspera" has been affiliated with "Star Trek." It's used as part of Starfleet and featured on an emblem for the fictional organization. Michael Okuda, who's worked as a graphic designer on several "Star Trek" properties, tweeted how pleased he was to see the phrase used as an episode title: "'Ad Astra Per Aspera.' I borrowed this motto, 'To the stars, through hardship,' from a plaque at Cape Canaveral, honoring the Apollo 1 crew. I used it on an emblem for Starfleet Command in ST: ENT. I was pleased to see it used as the title of an episode of Strange New Worlds."

And the phrase factors majorly in the "Strange New Worlds" episode. The plot deals with Commander Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn) facing court-martial in addition to dishonorable dismissal from Starfleet and potential imprisonment for a perceived violation of Starfleet's anti-genetic modification laws. At one point in the trial, her lawyer, Neera Ketoul (Yetide Badaki), calls Una to the stand, and she cites Starfleet's pre-Federation motto, "Ad astra per aspera," as the reason she joined, believing Starfleet celebrated diversity and would accept her no matter what. The team makes the case that Una sought asylum while joining Starfleet and should not be prosecuted, resulting in her acquittal.

As long as there's "Star Trek," there's going to be Latin in some form. So fans can enjoy engaging sci-fi stories while learning about important ideas and concepts.