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Vulcan launch proves sending your loved one’s ashes to space costs less than the average funeral
How do you want to bow out; buried six-feet-under, cremated and spread in your favorite places, or flying forever amongst the stars? As the ULA Vulcan rocket blasts off from Florida, the first American mission to the moons surface in decades, people are only now learning how remarkably cheap it is to send cremated ashes to space.
ULA Vulcan rocket launch has ashes on board
The United Launch Alliance successfully launched the next-generation Vulcan rocket from Floridas Cape Canaveral in the early morning of Monday, January 8.
On the rocket are the cremated ashes and DNA samples of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and several members of the original TV series cast, including the iconic Nichelle Nichols who sadly passed away in July 2023 at the age of 89.
Their ashes are to be spread in space and on the surface of the moon.
Celestis co-founder and CEO Charles Chafer shared in a statement: We’re very pleased to be fulfilling, with this mission, a promise I made to Majel Barrett Roddenberry in 1997 that one day we would fly her and husband Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry together on a deep space memorial spaceflight.
The mission is named Enterprise in tribute to them – and also fellow mission participant and beloved actor, James “Scotty” Doohan – as well as the many Star Trek fans who are joining them on this, the 20th Celestis Memorial Spaceflight.”
How much is it to send cremated ashes to space?
The cost of sending the cremated ashes of your loved ones into space and even to the moon itself is remarkably low.
Whilst the procedure will still set you back several thousands of dollars, its a curiously cheap option for a funeral amongst the stars; especially for astronomy or science fiction enthusiasts who want a memorable send-off.
Celestis, the company that is sending the ashes of Nichols to the moon via the ULAs Vulcan launch offers four different packages to loved ones looking to send their dearly departed on one last out-of-this-world voyage:
- Earth Rise Starting from $2,995 this package includes launch to space and return to Earth.
- Earth Orbit Starting from $4,995 this package includes launching into Earth orbit.
- Luna Starting from $12,995 this package includes launching into lunar orbit or onto the moons surface.
- Voyager Starting from $12,995 this package includes launching into deep space.
The company promotes the space funeral options as environmentally benign, easy to arrange, and surprisingly affordable; all whilst being authorized by US government regulations and compliant with international law.
Price of space funerals vs traditional
If you were considering a space funeral, youll be amazed at how the price of the procession compares to the likes of traditional burial or cremation in the US.
According to a recent report by the National Funeral Directors Association, the median cost of a traditional burial funeral in the United States is around $7,800 the median cost of a funeral with cremation comes in at around $6,900.
Yet this figure can vary significantly state-by-state, with World Population Review claiming that in 2024, the highest average funeral cost in the US was $8,675 (Maine), with the lowest cost being $5,875 (Florida).
Astrobotic CEO John Thornton explained to Fox Weather in 2022 the scale of the personal packages, including the cremated ashes of a loved one, that can now be delivered to space:
We’ve got folks that are sending inscriptions of family names, and sometimes there are photos of families. We even have some pet hair from a family pet that passed. It’s all sorts of different things that individuals like you and I can send up to the surface, and that’s the very first time that is possible.”
Are you considering sending your ashes to space, or would you consider a space funeral if the price was lower? Let us know in the comments below!
