Elysium Space will send your loved one's ashes into space for $2000

The idea of going to space has been the stuff of many an afternoon reverie. Unfortunately, cost of such an endeavour puts it out of reach for most. Now an ex-NASA engineer is planning to help you achieve that dream, although it might not exactly be the way you may have imagined going into space.

The programme’s founder, Thomas Civeit, has dubbed the project Elysium Space. Elysium aims to send a spacecraft into orbit with the ashes of the deceased. Loved ones back on Earth will be able track the location of the ashes via an app. The startup has been named after the Greek mythology afterlife realm, Elysium, the resting place for the righteous and the heroic.

According to the startup’s website, the memorial spaceflight is expected to launch sometime next year. And anyone who wants to book a seat on the same will have to shell out $1,990 (Rs 1,20,560 approx). Customers opting for this trip will be given a metal capsule to store the ashes. Along with that, the kit comes with a personalised printed message as well as a video of the entire launch. And those who want to see the launch personally can also do so. The app for the space programme is currently up on Google Play, and an iPhone version for the same is expected as well.

A new space startup will launch the ashes of your loved one's into orbit for $2000 (Image credit: Elysium Space)

The concept of a space burial is not a new one. Another service that gives customers a chance to do this is Celestis, which has been around for over a decade. The entire process may be described as being symbolic, as only a sample of the cremation ashes are sent out into space via the capsule. Be that as it may, for some, even this symbolic gesture is worth the effort.

What sets Elysium Space apart, according to the Civeit, is the affordability factor. Celestis’s Earth Orbit service sets users back by at least $4,995 (Rs 3,02,620 approx). Celestis also offer a cheaper $995 (Rs 60,280 approx) flight for customers which takes them up into zero-gravity before bringing them back again.

According to The Next Web, the space burial industry mostly finds clientele among public figures. On the list, names like astronaut Gordon Cooper, Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and actor James Doohan, who played Scotty in the original Star Trek, are featured. According to report, Civeit has said that all the market research conducted suggests a strong consumer demand for the service. While the concept is definitely appealing, only the official balance sheet will be able to show the success of the unique flight.