A portion of the remains or DNA of George Washington, John F. Kennedy, or Gene Roddenberry is set to be launched into space on a commercial flight.
Celestis, a company that provides services for sending human ashes into space, announced that the first flight named Enterprise will lift off at 2:18 AM on January 8 (local time) from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA.
A pair of containers holding capsules sized 6.35mm and 12.7mm. (Photo: Celestis).
After launch, the Vulcan Centaur rocket, produced by United Launch Alliance, will carry the remains or DNA of 330 individuals into space, including former U.S. Presidents George Washington, John F. Kennedy, and Gene Roddenberry, the creator of the Star Trek series.
The journey announced by Celestis consists of two phases. First, the rocket will deploy the Peregrine lander (produced by Astrobotic) carrying 62 titanium capsules, measuring 6.35 mm and 12.7 mm, containing human remains/DNA to the surface of the Moon.
Next, the Centaur spacecraft will release the remaining 268 capsules into deep space, and they will “orbit the Sun forever,” according to Charles Chafer, CEO of Celestis.
Star Trek “legends” including actors Nichelle Nichols, James Doohan, and DeForest Kelley, along with some of Majel Barrett-Roddenberry (wife of Gene Roddenberry), will also be sent aboard the spacecraft.
An unnamed capsule containing hair samples from former U.S. presidents. (Photo: Celestis).
Gene Roddenberry participated in Celestis’s first flight in 1997, named Founders. At that time, Majel expressed her wish to travel to space with Gene after her passing.
“I was only 28 years old then; there was no reason to believe we couldn’t do it. Therefore, this flight is not only the greatest achievement in my career but also fulfills my promise,” Chafer stated.
According to the New York Post, this flight also fulfills the wish of artist Luise Kaish, who passed away at the age of 87 in 2013. Her daughter, Melissa Kaish, said her mother loved exploring the universe and wished to have her ashes sent into space.
Since 1997, Celestis has conducted several flights carrying human remains out of Earth. However, this is the first time the remains of the deceased will be released onto the Moon.
The cost of “burial” in space is very high. A flight that takes ashes to just below Earth’s orbit and then returns to the ground typically costs nearly $3,000, while a flight orbiting Earth costs nearly $5,000.
This time, the flight will permanently send a portion of ashes into deep space for under $13,000. The expense of carrying full remains is significant; therefore, Celestis only transports a small portion, ranging from 1 to 7 grams per person.
The Vulcan Centaur rocket produced by United Launch Alliance. (Photo: ULA).
The Enterprise flight was originally scheduled to launch on May 4, 2023, but has been postponed to January 8 of this year. According to Space.com, some individuals, including the president of the Navajo Nation, Buu Nygren, expressed dissatisfaction with the flight.
On December 21, 2023, Nygren sent a letter requesting the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to delay the launch. He argued that sending human remains to the Moon is offensive, as “the Moon holds sacred significance in many cultures.”
Despite the objections from the Navajo Nation, theoretically, the flight is not operated by NASA. In a statement on January 4, Chris Culbert, Director of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, noted that this is a commercial mission, and the items sent to the spacecraft are determined by the company.
