Startup Brings Low-Cost Space Memorials

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A new space-memorial company called Space Beyond has unveiled an ambitious plan to send the cremated remains of up to 1,000 people into orbit aboard a small satellite in October 2027 offering what it bills as an affordable “ashes to space” service that dramatically lowers costs compared with traditional space burial options.

Founded by former NASA and Blue Origin engineer Ryan Mitchell, Space Beyond will use a 1U CubeSat spacecraft integrated on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare mission, allowing customers to pay significantly less for a unique final tribute. The company’s entry into this niche reflects broader trends in commercial spaceflight that are opening access for smaller, more personal missions once limited to specialised or high-cost providers.

Rather than scattering ashes freely in space which could create orbital debris the startup will encapsulate a small portion of remains (about one gram per person) within the CubeSat. The spacecraft will orbit Earth for roughly five years before re-entering the atmosphere, where it will burn up in a symbolic finale. Participants and families will be able to track the satellite’s path over the globe from its sun-synchronous orbit.

Space Beyond’s service aims to make space memorials more accessible by using standardised small-sat hardware and shared launch slots, a strategy that has helped reduce costs and expand opportunities for science, commercial, and private payloads in low Earth orbit.