Celebrity space funeral company offers burial in orbit for Chinese

A U.S. company that sends cremated remains into space is planning to reach out to the Chinese funeral services market.

Space Services Inc., a company launched in 1994 under the name Celestis, specializes in "memorial spaceflights" where the deceased can fly aboard a commercial rocket into space.

Company officials say they are in talks with a Beijing funeral home, Great Wall Chinese Shrine, to be a Space Services' distributor in China.

The U.S. officials say the process involves placing part of a cremated individual into a lipstick-sized container to ride on a rocket carrying other cargo.

After the rocket is launched, family and friends can view it online until the vessel burns up in the atmosphere.

Depending on the rocket and its mission, the remains could stay in orbit from a few minutes to a few centuries.

Prices in China will probably be comparable to those in the U.S. which can range from $995 for one gram of cremated ash to $5,300 for seven grams, say company executives.

Space Services Inc. hopes to conduct their next memorial spaceflight in October.

Earlier this week Space Services announced it would again try to launch some of the remains of Canadian Star Trek actor James Doohan into orbit. An earlier attempt to do so was delayed by a fire on the rocket slated to carry Doohan's ashes in the final frontier.

Photography: NASA

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, July 26 edition