Space Memorials
Space memorials send a small symbolic portion of cremated remains into Earth orbit, onto the lunar surface, or into deep space aboard commercial rocket launches.
Overview
Space memorial services, offered by a small number of commercial companies, launch a symbolic quantity of cremated remains — typically a gram or a few grams, not the full remains — aboard a rocket as part of a shared payload alongside satellites or other commercial cargo. Options generally range from a suborbital flight that returns to Earth, to Earth orbit, to lunar surface delivery, to deep space trajectories that leave the solar system entirely.
How It Works
Families select a memorial flight tier, which determines destination and price. A capsule containing a small sample of remains is integrated into the launch vehicle's payload alongside other memorial capsules and commercial cargo. Providers typically offer live launch viewing, either in person or via webcast, and some flights are trackable afterward.
Sustainability & Environmental Impact
Space memorials carry the environmental footprint of rocket launches, which is a shared, incremental portion of a mission also carrying other commercial payloads. Providers generally frame this as a symbolic gesture rather than a primary disposition method, since only a small remains sample is sent — the majority of remains are typically kept, buried, or scattered through another method.
Legal Status & Availability
Space memorial services operate under standard commercial spaceflight regulations in the country of launch (in the U.S., overseen by the FAA), rather than under burial-specific law, since they are classified as a payload service rather than a body disposition method in most regulatory frameworks.
Laws governing body disposition vary by country, state/province, and sometimes county. Always verify current regulations with a local funeral authority, cemetery board, or attorney before making decisions.
Considerations
Because only a small symbolic portion of remains is launched, families should plan for the disposition of the remaining cremated remains through another method described on this site. Launch dates can also shift due to standard aerospace scheduling factors, which providers typically disclose upfront.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are all of a person's remains sent into space?
No — typically only a small symbolic sample (often a gram or a few grams) is launched; the rest of the remains are handled through another chosen method.
Do lunar or deep-space memorial flights actually launch?
Several commercial missions carrying memorial payloads to lunar or deep-space trajectories have successfully launched in recent years, alongside other commercial and scientific cargo.