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Celestis

US

Celestis, Inc., a subsidiary of Space Services Holdings, Inc., is a memorial spaceflight provider. As a pioneer in the space burial industry, Celestis launches cremated remains and DNA samples into various destinations, including Earth orbit, the lunar surface, and deep space. Celestis purchases space on various launch vehicles as a secondary payload. The company has flown remains of notable figures like Gene Roddenberry and offers services for both humans and pets.

commercialFounded 1994
Houston, Texas, United States
celestis.com/
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All verified mentions of this organization in source documents.

Celestis has been sending ashes and DNA into space since 1994, including sending the cremated remains of 24 people on the Founders Flight in 1997.

GeneralValue 4.0Oct 13, 2025The other space race: why the world is obsessed with sending objects into orbit

Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander carried five NASA payloads and cremated human remains provided by Celestis and Elysium Space.

RelationshipsCapabilityValue 4.0Sep 2, 2025The intersection of cultural beliefs and mythos with non-governmental space activities and its potential impact to national interests and great power competition

Celestis and Elysium Space are companies that provide memorial services by transporting human cremated remains into outer space.

GeneralValue 2.0Sep 2, 2025The intersection of cultural beliefs and mythos with non-governmental space activities and its potential impact to national interests and great power competition

The payload for the flight, named Mission Posible, included ashes and DNA of over 166 deceased individuals, provided by Celestis.

CapabilityRelationshipsValue 4.0Aug 30, 2025La nave Nyx supera la Fase 1 de la revisión de seguridad para volar en 2018 a la ISS

Celestis and Elysium Space were the two companies that submitted the cremated human remains as payloads.

GeneralRelationshipsValue 3.2Jan 29, 2024The sacred Moon: Navigating diverse cultural beliefs in lunar missions

The Vulcan Centaur’s upper stage was headed to deep space and contained human remains for another Celestis mission.

PlanCapabilityValue 3.2Jan 29, 2024The sacred Moon: Navigating diverse cultural beliefs in lunar missions

Charles Chafer, CEO of Celestis, argued that their memorials on the Moon are handled with care and reverence.

GeneralGovernanceValue 1.2Jan 29, 2024The sacred Moon: Navigating diverse cultural beliefs in lunar missions

The Celestis memorial payload aboard Cert-1 includes DNA samples of former U.S. presidents George Washington, John F. Kennedy, and Dwight D. Eisenhower.

CapabilityGeneralValue 4.2Jan 5, 2024UPDATE 4: L-2 as ULA preps for launch of Vulcan rocket

The Celestis payload aboard Cert-1 carries DNA samples of former U.S. presidents George Washington, John F. Kennedy, and Dwight D. Eisenhower.

CapabilityGeneralValue 4.0Dec 20, 2023UPDATE 2 ULA’s Vulcan rocket now atop the launch vehicle

The planned Celestis mission intended to send 118 passengers' cremated remains into space via a suborbital flight from Spaceport America.

PlanValue 4.0Sep 25, 2023Honoring and dishonoring the dead in outer space

Celestis organizes memorial spaceflights that send small containers of cremated remains into space and returns them to Earth.

GeneralValue 2.2Sep 25, 2023Honoring and dishonoring the dead in outer space

Celestis, Inc. entered into a launch services agreement with United Launch Alliance to host a Celestis Memorial Spaceflight payload aboard the initial flight of ULA’s Vulcan Centaur planned for later 2022.

RelationshipsPlanValue 4.4Jan 26, 2022Celestis Memorial Payload To Be Launched By ULA’s Inaugural Vulcan Flight

Celestis’ first mission was the 1997 Founders Flight and the company has completed 16 subsequent missions to date.

PlanGeneralValue 3.2Jan 26, 2022Celestis Memorial Payload To Be Launched By ULA’s Inaugural Vulcan Flight

Celestis launched Gene Roddenberry’s ashes to space in 1997 on an Orbital Sciences rocket.

PlanGeneralCapabilityValue 3.5Jan 26, 2022Star Trek tribute mission to fly on ULA’s Vulcan inaugural launch

Sherpa-FX will include telemetry hosted payloads from Celestis, NearSpace Launch, Space Domain Awareness Inc., and Keplerian Technologies/Tiger Innovations designed to identify and track satellites after separation.

CapabilityRelationshipsValue 4.6Aug 20, 2020Spaceflight planning three Sherpa launches in 2021
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