AMONG THE STARS

SpaceX Rocket Sends Cremated Remains of 100 People Into Orbit

Elysium Space's memorial satellite will orbit the Earth as part of a four-year celestial tribute.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket reportedly blasted off towards the cosmos Monday carrying a memorial satellite with the cremated remains of about 100 people. The San Francisco-based company Elysium Space said it sent the SpaceX rocket out into orbit with the ashes of military veterans, aerospace fans and others aboard, CNN reports. Relatives paid $2,500 to send a sample of ashes into the Milky Way via a 4-inch square satellite called a cubesat. According to Thomas Civeit, Elysium Space Founder and CEO, families will be able to track the Falcon for about four years as the spacecraft circles the Earth before returning to the planet. Spaceflight, a company that sends satellites out through its cost-effective “rideshare mission,” purchased the rocket to serve clients that include schools, commercial businesses, government entities, and international organizations.

BUCKLE UP!

SpaceX: Yusaku Maezawa Will Be the First Tourist to the Moon

David Axe