Memorial spaceflight operator loses craft, 166 remains evidently lost at sea

July 14, 2025/Business, Products/

Celestis, the memorial spaceflight program for cremated remains, recently lost its spacecraft from the Perseverence flight and the 166 cremated remains and/or human DNA carried with it. This article from MSN states that the remains “. . . have now been spread across the Pacific Ocean after a malfunction caused the recovery capsule’s parachute to fail.”

Interestingly enough Celestis, which has successfully launched and kept orbiting flights for over 20 years, was operating Perseverance as its first flight to return from orbit and offer relatives the ability to reclaim remains that had been in orbit. All other previous flights through Celestis have, at least from what I can find out, been intended to remain in permanent orbit.

The following statement appears from Celestis co-founder and CEO Charles M. Chafer on the Celestis website:

The Perseverance Flight carrying the ashes and DNA of 166 participants successfully launched and reached orbit today, Monday, June 23, 2025 aboard The Exploration Company’s Nyx Mission Possible spacecraft.

The spacecraft completed two orbits around Earth, meeting our criteria for a successful Earth Orbit service, and then initiated its return trajectory, as planned, to complete the Earth Rise service intended. However, we regret to share that an anomaly occurred and the vehicle was lost shortly after re-entry; the root cause is under investigation, resulting in the Nyx capsule impacting the Pacific Ocean and dispersing its contents at sea.

As a result of this unforeseen event, we believe that we will not be able to recover or return the flight capsules aboard. We share in the disappointment of our families, and we offer our sincerest gratitude for their trust. While there were many successful milestones achieved – launch, orbit, and controlled reentry – this was the first Celestis mission designed to return from orbit, and we recognize the bravery and ambition it required from all involved. We also recognize that no technical achievement replaces the profound personal meaning this service holds for our families.

In the coming days, our team will reach out to each family individually to offer support and discuss possible next steps. Though we currently believe that we cannot return the flight capsules, we hope families will find some peace in knowing their loved ones were part of a historic journey, launched into space, orbited Earth, and are now resting in the vastness of the Pacific, akin to a traditional and honored sea scattering. We remain committed to serving with transparency, compassion, and care.

According to the Celestis website which you can access here, the cost of this memorialization started at $3,495. Other options listed on the website range from $4,995 to $12,995.

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

Funeral Director Daily take: There are many ways to memorialize a loved one and Celestis is one of the growing options available. It’s unfortunate that this accident happened, but as we have experienced as Americans, technological issues on space flights cannot be taken for granted.

I’m one that hopes this incident does not set Celestis back. While burial of the dead with cemetery memorialization was once the almost universally chosen option for humans, I’m of the opinion that the growing number of memorialization options, such as Celestis, Parting Stone, Eterneva, Natural Organic Reduction, and others, offer grief and memorialization solutions for those who believe in something other than earth burial.

It is that growing choice and options that, in my opinion, will give more and more meaning to Memorialization as time moves on. And, I’m also of the opinion that more meaning to Memorialization will bring greater emphasis and revenue to the growing Death Care community.

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