Celestis, Inc., the pioneer in Memorial Spaceflight, announced recently it has reached agreement with two companies to launch payloads containing human cremated remains to the surface of the Moon as soon as 2009.
Going on vacation to the moon might be an unattainable dream... But getting your ashes there is now a possibility.
The "passengers" will be cremated here on earth and urns containing a symbolic quantity of the ashes will be sent with a satellite using robotic vehicles produced by Odyssey Moon. Each "interplanetary funeral" will cost the next of kin some USD 10,000.
The Celestis Luna Flight Capsules will be integrated onto the lunar landers providing balance and counterweight to stabilize the spacecraft. Once on the lunar surface, the capsules will remain within the spacecraft, not dispersed, creating a permanent memorial to those on board.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Memorial Spaceflights
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop new technology and services for memorial spaceflights, such as personalized space capsules or virtual memorials on the moon.
- Robotic Lunar Landers
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create advanced robotic vehicles for lunar missions, capable of transporting payloads and conducting various tasks on the moon.
- Interplanetary Funerals
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Innovate funeral industry by offering interplanetary funeral services, providing a unique way to remember and honor loved ones by sending their remains to different celestial bodies.
Where This Applies
- Space Exploration
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop new technologies and spacecraft systems for space exploration, including lunar landers and vehicles for transporting payloads to the moon.
- Funeral Services
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Transform the funeral industry by offering innovative memorial services and options, such as spaceflights, that provide unique and meaningful ways to remember and honor the deceased.
- Robotics
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Advance robotics technology for lunar missions and space exploration, including the development of advanced robotic vehicles and systems for tasks on celestial bodies.
