Did you ever wonder what would happen to the ashes of your loved ones if you sent them into space? Well, the answer is obscure. A San-Francisco company, Elysium Space, is here to give you the answer. The firm is named after the Greek mythology afterlife realm: Elysium or the Elysian fields.
Elysium was the resting place of the blessed after death. A proficient team of experienced space and funeral experts led by their founder Thomas Civeit, who holds extensive experience in primary NASA space missions (Hubble Space Telescope and the Huygens Interplanetary Probe) and profound professional prowess to make this possible.
Elysium Space – Creating a home for the deceased
Founded in the year 2013, Elysium Space is a privately-held corporation that offers top-notch celestial services to the world to help people commemorate their departed ones anytime and anywhere. It promises to deliver a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the significance of the dead with dignity and honor.
There are two majestic sacred spaces, namely Shooting Star Memorial and Lunar Star Memorial. You can raise your eyes to capture the eternal memories of your dear ones up in the night sky.
The successful launch
On Monday, December 3rd 2018, at 10:34 a.m, SpaceX launched Spaceflight SSO-A: SmallSat Express to a low Earth orbit which carried Elysium Star 2 memorial spacecraft and 63 other payloads. It was a historic moment as it represented the largest single rideshare mission from a US-based launch vehicle to date.
Here are some interesting facts about the memorial spacecraft!
1. The historical memorial spaceflight consisted of the cremated remains of 100 people into space. Families paid $2,500 to place the sample of their loved ones’ ashes on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
2. The 4-inch square satellite called CubeSat, held the ashes of people, including the US military veterans, aerospace enthusiasts and those interested in sending the ashes into the space.
3. The highlight is that the spacecraft will orbit the earth for four years before it falls back to the Earth. Eventually, the spacecraft will harmlessly re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere, blazing as a shooting star.
4. Family and friends can track the satellite’s progress of the spacecraft through an app on their phones (iOS or Google Android)
How does it work?
The process to pay tribute to your family member is simple. Once you book one of the memorial services from the website, you will receive a mail with a kit containing a capsule to collect cremated remains sample. The kit includes a shipping box with a pre-label for US customers and shipping instructions.
The capsule is customized as per the initials of the person’s choice, which are engraved on its cap. In addition to it, there is a personalized message up to 80 characters. After you ship the capsule back to the company, it is placed carefully and respectfully in the dedicated spacecraft module.
Not to forget, this is not the first time that the ashes of the deceased have been sent to the stars. In the year 2012, the ashes of 320 people were launched into space in a mission similar to Elysium’s.
We’ve always been fascinated by the stars and have associated them with our deceased loved ones. With Elysium, this myth can become a reality.