Elysium Space is a company that aims to provide its customers with the unique experience of launching their loved one's cremated remains to space. The company has now confirmed the launch of the world's first memorial spacecraft aboard SpaceX's rocket, Falcon 9.
The World's First Memorial Spacecraft
Some people choose to celebrate a departed loved one's life in unusual ways. Some scatter their ashes in their loved one's favorite lake, or perhaps bring the urn to a special location. Elysium Space, however, is offering the bereaved a memorial service that is truly out of this world.
On May 16, Elysium Space confirmed that they will be launching the Elysium Star II aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. This means that the sample of cremated remains of the first 100 clients who have already booked for a space memorial will soon be able to launch into space. These clients include U.S. military veterans, space enthusiasts, and other clients who just opted to celebrate their loved ones in an unconventional manner.
Families are welcome to watch the launch at the airbase, or via a livestream.
Elysium Space expects Star II to circle around every part of the globe in a sun-synchronous orbit for about two years before re-entering the Earth's atmosphere as a light show in the form of a shooting star. The Elysium mobile app will allow people to see the spacecraft's location in real time during the entirety of the mission.
On their launch schedule, a Star I Mission was already launched in 2015 which is labelled as completed, but marked as a mission that did not reach the planned orbit. Star II, which will launch with the Falcon 9 is listed in the schedule as "in launch queue," while another mission for a Lunar memorial is scheduled for 2018.
Reservations for the Star II and Lunar I are still open, with prices starting at $2,490.
Elysium Space
Elysium Space was founded in 2013 by a team of space and funeral experts with experiences relating to NASA space missions. The company believes in changing the vision of death to a celestial memorial that will celebrate the departed with honor and dignity.
Once booked for a memorial service, Elysium Space will send their clients a kit with a custom ash capsule where a sample of the ashes of the departed will be placed. The capsule is customized to have the initials of the client's choosing, that will be shipped back to Elysium in a prepaid, preaddressed shipping box for U.S. customers. An engraved message of your choice will also be launched into the stars along with the capsule.
People who are interested in the celestial memorial can also opt for a Lunar memorial where a part of the deceased's ashes will be delivered to the surface of the moon.
