Celestis
Encyclopedia
Celestis is a company that launches cremated human remains into space
, a procedure known as a space burial
. It is an affiliate company of Space Services Inc.
The company purchases launches as a secondary payload on various rocket
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
and 1960s icon Timothy Leary
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
("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.
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 |