Celestis recovers astronaut’s remains from suborbital rocket explosion
Celestis, the company that specializes in sending people’s ashes into space, has successfully recovered the remains of a former Apollo astronaut Philip Chapman (who never flew in space) after the suborbital rocket they were on exploded four seconds into flight.
“All 120 flight capsules are safely in the hands of launch personnel and will be returned to us awaiting our next flight as soon as UP and Spaceport America complete their investigation and any required fixes are implemented,” Celestis said in a statement on Wednesday. The recovered payloads are set to fly again on board the company’s upcoming Perseverance Flight. The company said it only launches a “symbolic portion” of ashes or DNA sample from its participants.
Celestis has sent remains of many celebrities as well as ordinary customers on a number of orbital and suborbital flights over the years. The recovery of the remains and their expected reflight in this case enhances its business model, since none of its customers want their ashes lost in a rocket failure, before reaching space.
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Anyone considering the Starship tests as a promising spot for ashes? (Anyone but me?)
Even should the Starship prototype fail, we’d be part of history.
Bob, do you know if this flight had any of David Livingston’s loved ones aboard?
Seems like an exploding rocket is as good a way to scatter them as any…
My 98-year old Father passed away last November. He was cremated.
The space launch industry is telling me that delivering my Father’s remains into space means delivering only some of his remains into space fulfills the contract?
Do I have the option of making only a partial payment?