Elysium Space has made celestial funerals possible. The funeral firm is now offering "Lunar Memorial" wherein cremated remains are privately dispatched to the moon according to a report by CNBC News. Of course, this will cost quite a bit but they actually have an early bird promo rate at $9,950 for their first 50 clients.
The San Francisco-based funeral firm was founded by a former NASA engineer Thomas Civeit in 2013. The firm launched its service in August of this year after securing a partnership with space logistics company, Astrobotic Technology. "Families now have the historic opportunity to commemorate their departed loved ones every night through the everlasting splendour and soft illumination of the Earth's closest companion: the moon," they stated in a press release.
The funeral firm is currently taking orders and the first batch of ashes will travel to the moon on Griffin Lander spacecraft, Astrobotic's inaugural lunar mission, in 2017. "Families who choose our celestial services have a special connection with space or the night sky, for poetic reasons, or because they love the idea of a memorial spaceflight," Civeit, told CNBC via email.
Initially, Elysium planned to run a service called Shooting Star Memorial, in which ashes are briefly sent to outer space and return to Earth as a bright streak across the sky, much like a shooting star. This is how the idea of celestial funeral started.
However, they were approached by a U.S. Army infantry soldier, Steven Jenks, with an unusual request according to OddityCentral. He wanted to send his mother's remains to the moon after losing her to lung cancer. Jenkin's mom would always write to him saying: "No matter how lonely you feel and how far you are, always look to the Moon and know I am with you. I love you to the Moon and back, Love, Mom." It was just perfect timing that he approached Astrobotics during the contract signing. Now he is happy to know that his mother's final resting place will be on the moon.
After the first 50 signups, the price will be hiked to $11,950. Families that book a spot on the mission for a Lunar Memorial will be sent a kit including an engraved metal box that can hold around one gram of cremated remains. This will be given back to Elysium to be placed alongside 100 more for take-off on 2017. Meanwhile reservations for the Shooting Star are lot cheaper and priced at $1,990. The funeral firm is planning to launch its first 100 capsules into space this fall.