“Grab that gorgeous, beautiful star of ours”: A critical discourse analysis of Eugene Cernan’s interview

Resumen

This paper presents a critical discourse analysis of an interview with Eugene Cernan, commander of Apollo 17 and the last astronaut to walk on the Moon. The work examines how metaphorical language reflects Cernan’s experiences, emotions, and ideologies as an astronaut. Drawing on theories of metaphor proposed by Lakoff and Johnson (1980) and Kövecses (2010), the analysis focuses on structural, ontological, and simile expressions found in the interview. The methodology consisted of selecting the interview, reading its transcript, identifying relevant metaphorical expressions, and interpreting their meaning within the context of space exploration. The findings show that Cernan uses metaphors to describe personal challenges, teamwork, spirituality, Earth, and humanity. Expressions such as “a taller mountain to climb,” “God’s front porch,” and “we’re all one” reveal ideas of perseverance, collective effort, spiritual reflection, and human unity. The analysis also suggests that Cernan’s discourse is shaped by military values, ambition, humility, and the emotional impact of the overview effect. Overall, this study demonstrates that metaphors are not only rhetorical devices but also cognitive tools that help communicate extraordinary experiences and construct meaning about Earth, humanity, and existence.