Celestis
Encyclopedia
Celestis is a company that launches cremated human remains into space
Outer space
Outer space is the void that exists between celestial bodies, including the Earth. It is not completely empty, but consists of a hard vacuum containing a low density of particles: predominantly a plasma of hydrogen and helium, as well as electromagnetic radiation, magnetic fields, and neutrinos....

, a procedure known as a space burial
Space burial
Space burial is a burial procedure in which a small sample of the cremated ashes of the deceased are placed in a capsule the size of a tube of lipstick and are launched into space using a rocket...

. It is an affiliate company of Space Services Inc.
Space Services Inc.
Space Services, Inc. of America is a space services company that provides star naming services as well as space memorial services through its subsidiary company, Celestis...

 The company purchases launches as a secondary payload on various rocket
Rocket
A rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...

s, and launches samples of many peoples' cremated remains on one launch. Launching an individual's entire cremated remains (which weigh between four to eight pounds) would be prohibitively expensive for most people, so Celestis launches 1 gram or 7 gram samples of cremated remains so as to provide an affordable service.

Celestis has flown a number of notable participants over the years. Its first flight -- The Founders Flight -- carried cremated remains of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry
Gene Roddenberry
Eugene Wesley "Gene" Roddenberry was an American television screenwriter, producer and futurist, best known for creating the American science fiction series Star Trek. Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up in Los Angeles, California where his father worked as a police officer...

 and 1960s icon Timothy Leary
Timothy Leary
Timothy Francis Leary was an American psychologist and writer, known for his advocacy of psychedelic drugs. During a time when drugs like LSD and psilocybin were legal, Leary conducted experiments at Harvard University under the Harvard Psilocybin Project, resulting in the Concord Prison...

 into Earth orbit. Also on board were physicist and space visionary Gerard K. O'Neill, noted rocket scientist Krafft A. Ehricke, and 20 others. Dr. Eugene Shoemaker—a famous planetary geologist and co-discoverer of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 -- was launched to the moon on NASA's Lunar Prospector mission in 1998: Celestis helped friends of Dr. Shoemaker include a sample of his cremated remains on that mission. Mercury 7 astronaut L. Gordon Cooper, Star Trek actor James Doohan
James Doohan
James Montgomery "Jimmy" Doohan was a Canadian character and voice actor best known for his role as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the television and film series Star Trek...

 ("Mr. Scott"), and a host of others from various walks of life were launched on board The Legacy Flight in 2007. Titanic explorer Ralph White was on board the Discovery and Pioneer flights. Furthermore, the late Majel Barrett Roddenberry—Star Treks "Nurse Chapel," the voice of the computer on board the fictional starship Enterprise, and Lwaxana Troi in Star Trek: The Next Generation -- will fly with Gene Roddenberry on a future Celestis mission into deep space.

Family members and friends of flight participants usually can attend the launch. Celestis usually arranges for a tour of the launch facility and hosts a non-sectarian memorial service prior to the launch.
Celestis also helps people prearrange their own memorial spaceflights for the future.

Missions

Launch date/time (GMT) Rocket Flight name Flight type Notable individuals Remarks
21 April 1997, 11:59 Pegasus-XL Founders Earth orbit Beauford Franklin, Rocket Scientist
Gene Roddenberry
Gene Roddenberry
Eugene Wesley "Gene" Roddenberry was an American television screenwriter, producer and futurist, best known for creating the American science fiction series Star Trek. Born in El Paso, Texas, Roddenberry grew up in Los Angeles, California where his father worked as a police officer...

, writer
Gerard O'Neill
Gerard O'Neill
Gerard Kitchen O'Neill was an American physicist and space activist. As a faculty member of Princeton University, he invented a device called the particle storage ring for high-energy physics experiments. Later, he invented a magnetic launcher called the mass driver...

, physicist
Krafft Ehricke, rocket scientist
Timothy Leary
Timothy Leary
Timothy Francis Leary was an American psychologist and writer, known for his advocacy of psychedelic drugs. During a time when drugs like LSD and psilocybin were legal, Leary conducted experiments at Harvard University under the Harvard Psilocybin Project, resulting in the Concord Prison...

, psychologist, writer
Reached Earth orbit; Reentered atmosphere May 20, 2002
7 January 1998, 02:29 Athena Luna-01 Luna Eugene Merle Shoemaker
Eugene Merle Shoemaker
Eugene Merle Shoemaker , American geologist, was one of the founders of the fields of planetary science....

, astronomer
Attached to Lunar Prospector
Lunar Prospector
The Lunar Prospector mission was the third selected by NASA for full development and construction as part of the Discovery Program. At a cost of $62.8 million, the 19-month mission was designed for a low polar orbit investigation of the Moon, including mapping of surface composition and possible...


Landed 31 July 1999
10 February 1998, 13:20 Taurus
Taurus rocket
Taurus is a four stage, solid fuel launch vehicle built in the United States by Orbital Sciences Corporation. It is based on the air-launched Pegasus rocket from the same manufacturer. The Taurus rocket is able to carry a payload of around 1,350 kg into a low Earth orbit. First launched in 1994,...

Ad Astra Earth orbit Reached Earth orbit; Still on orbit
21 December 1999, 07:13 Taurus
Taurus rocket
Taurus is a four stage, solid fuel launch vehicle built in the United States by Orbital Sciences Corporation. It is based on the air-launched Pegasus rocket from the same manufacturer. The Taurus rocket is able to carry a payload of around 1,350 kg into a low Earth orbit. First launched in 1994,...

Millennial Earth orbit Charles Oren Bennett, illustrator Reached Earth orbit; Still on orbit
21 September 2001, 18:49 Taurus
Taurus rocket
Taurus is a four stage, solid fuel launch vehicle built in the United States by Orbital Sciences Corporation. It is based on the air-launched Pegasus rocket from the same manufacturer. The Taurus rocket is able to carry a payload of around 1,350 kg into a low Earth orbit. First launched in 1994,...

Odyssey Earth orbit Failed to reach orbit
28 April 2007, 14:56 GMT SpaceLoft XL
SpaceLoft XL
The SpaceLoft XL is a sounding rocket developed by UP Aerospace. The rocket has a diameter of 10 inches , and is 20 feet long. It is capable of lofting a 110 lb payload to a sub-orbital trajectory with an apogee of 140 miles...

Legacy Earthrise (suborbital) Gordon Cooper
Gordon Cooper
Leroy Gordon Cooper, Jr. , also known as Gordon Cooper, was an American aeronautical engineer, test pilot and NASA astronaut. Cooper was one of the seven original astronauts in Project Mercury, the first manned space effort by the United States...

, astronaut
James Doohan
James Doohan
James Montgomery "Jimmy" Doohan was a Canadian character and voice actor best known for his role as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the television and film series Star Trek...

 , Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...

 actor
Reached space and returned to Earth, as planned
3 August 2008, 03:34 GMT Falcon 1
Falcon 1
The Falcon 1 is a partially reusable launch system designed and manufactured by SpaceX, a space transportation company in Hawthorne, California. The two-stage-to-orbit rocket uses LOX/RP-1 for both stages, the first powered by a single Merlin engine and the second powered by a single Kestrel engine...

Explorers Earth orbit Gordon Cooper
Gordon Cooper
Leroy Gordon Cooper, Jr. , also known as Gordon Cooper, was an American aeronautical engineer, test pilot and NASA astronaut. Cooper was one of the seven original astronauts in Project Mercury, the first manned space effort by the United States...

, astronaut
James Doohan
James Doohan
James Montgomery "Jimmy" Doohan was a Canadian character and voice actor best known for his role as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the television and film series Star Trek...

, Star Trek actor
Failed to reach orbit
2 May 2009, 14:00 GMT SpaceLoft XL
SpaceLoft XL
The SpaceLoft XL is a sounding rocket developed by UP Aerospace. The rocket has a diameter of 10 inches , and is 20 feet long. It is capable of lofting a 110 lb payload to a sub-orbital trajectory with an apogee of 140 miles...

Discovery Earthrise (suborbital) Ralph White, explorer Failed to reach space
4 May 2010, 12:41 GMT SpaceLoft XL
SpaceLoft XL
The SpaceLoft XL is a sounding rocket developed by UP Aerospace. The rocket has a diameter of 10 inches , and is 20 feet long. It is capable of lofting a 110 lb payload to a sub-orbital trajectory with an apogee of 140 miles...

Pioneer Earthrise (suborbital) Ralph white. explorer Reached space and returned to Earth, as planned
20 May 2011, 13:21 GMT SpaceLoft XL
SpaceLoft XL
The SpaceLoft XL is a sounding rocket developed by UP Aerospace. The rocket has a diameter of 10 inches , and is 20 feet long. It is capable of lofting a 110 lb payload to a sub-orbital trajectory with an apogee of 140 miles...

Goddard Earthrise (suborbital) Reached space and returned to Earth, as planned

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