The idea is, at least, singular: send a small symbolic portion of the cremated remains or a person’s DNA to space. That a part of what was a human body experience zero gravity, go around the earth and become a relic for the family. A capsule that acts as a space urn. This is Earth Rise, one of the services offered by Celestis, an American company with more than 30 years of experience in this business that they themselves define as “perseverance flights.”
But this time not everything went as expected. On June 23, an Earth Rise mission transported 166 capsules with human remains and DNA samples. The take -off on board a Falcon 9 rocket of Spacex was successful. The capsule, developed by the European company The Exploration Company, managed to enter orbit and completed two laps around the planet, fulfilling the planned flight profile. So far, everything went as planned.
However, something failed during the reentry process. The NYX capsule, which had to return to the earth and deliver its individual modules to each family, He suffered an anomaly. The vehicle was lost shortly after starting its descent, and ended up crashing into the Pacific Ocean. With him, human remains and flight capsules also dispersed. “We believe we will not be able to recover anything,” Celestis acknowledged in a statement.
The Celestis container with human remains that traveled inside the NYX capsule
The origin of Celestis dates back to 1992, when NASA included a sample of the remains of Gene Roddenberry, creator of ‘Star Trek’, in a mission of the transboper Columbia. Shortly after, Celestis collaborated with the agency to send remains of the Geologist Eugene Shoemaker to the moon, making him the first buried person there.
Since then, they say, they have sent more than 1,200 capsules to space, aboard commercial releases, commemorating both known figures and anonymous citizens. They have several active services: suborbital flights that return to the earth, missions to the lunar orbit or even to the deep space.
Earth Rise: A farewell with round trip ticket
Celestis offers several types of commemorative spatial flights, but Earth Rise is the most economical and direct. For $ 3,495, the company launches a small capsule with cremated remains or DNA. After experiencing a few minutes in microgravity, the capsule returns to Earth and gives family members as a souvenir. It is a trajectory that seeks symbolism, not permanence.
For those who look for something more ambitious, there are also other options:
- Earth Orbit: For $ 4,995, the capsules enter into terrestrial orbit and remain there until they resent and disintegrate in the atmosphere, “like a fleeting star.”
- Luna: For $ 12,995, the remains are sent to the lunar orbit or even land on the surface, “becoming a permanent tax on the moon.”
- Voyager: Also from $ 12,995, this service launches the capsules to the deep space, beyond the moon, in a trajectory without return.
A European space capsule
The capsule that transported the human remains on the Perseverance flight was not any space vehicle. It was NYX, a prototype developed by The Exploration Company, a startup with presence in Germany, France and Italy that seeks to make a place in the new European space race. Its proposal is clear: create reusable, rechargeable capsules in orbit and compatible with any heavy pitcher in the world.
The NYX capsule, prepared for its mission, at The Exploration Company facilities
According to its website, the company was founded in 2021 by Hélène Huby and a team of engineers with experience in large European programs such as Orion-ESM, Ariane o ATV. In just three years they have built two demonstrating capsules and have sold six missions. Its development rate has been unusually rapid for the sector.
The positive Mission flight, in which the funeral capsules of Celestis were traveling, was the second demonstrator of the company. It was designed to perform a controlled reentry and recover the load after completing the mission. That was, in fact, one of his key technological promises: not only reach the space, but to return. And do it precisely.
It was also the first time that a Private capsule of European origin He offered this type of commercial service in collaboration with an American company as Celestis. The mission was an important step for The Exploration Company, which aspires to compete in the growing orbital transport market with its future NYX Earth capsule, designed to supply space stations in low orbit.
The families expected to receive a capsule that had orbited the Earth, a symbolic and emotional tribute for those who decided to bet on this unique form of farewell. It was not possible. What remains is a story of ambition and failures. Touch to wait to know if Celestis will try again in the future.
Imágenes | Celestis / Exploration Company (1, 2, 3, 4)
In WorldOfSoftware | Taiwan believes having found the mythical planet 9 of the Solar System. Instead of looking for his light, he has been looking for his heat
