NC man's cremated remains lost in the Pacific Ocean after memorial spaceflight
A memorial spaceflight that promised to carry a Fuquay-Varina man's ashes into low-Earth orbit and retrieve them as a keepsake malfunctioned on its re-entry, crashed into the Pacific Ocean and scattered his remains at sea.
The experience deeply disappointed Karin Nielson, who paid more than $3,000 to give her sci-fi fanatic husband a posthumous tribute. But she and her son Andrew feel happy Steve Nielson at least got his long-awaited trip to space, despite a portion of his remains being lost.
'Honestly, I'm not surprised this happened,' she said Tuesday, still in California for the space experience. 'I'm just glad the rocket didn't blow up in front of Andrew.'
Steve Nielson died in November of 2023 after fighting a long string of illnesses, and his family wanted to celebrate his avid sci-fi fandom, which was so intense that he appreciated 'Star Wars' and 'Star Trek' equally.
The Celestis Memorial Spaceflight promised to launch him posthumously into space along with 165 other cremated travelers aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, circling the Earth at 17,000 mph.
Nielson gave Celestis only about a gram of her husband's remains before traveling to California for the launch this week.
'I know space travel has inherent risks,' she said. 'I was not going to be stupid enough to give them all the remains and not gotten them back.'
The launch got delayed several times, and when it came time for liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base, the families had to watch from an athletic field several miles away.
'There was a little league team practicing,' Nielson said.
Then Monday, Nielson got an email from Celestis CEO Charles M. Chafer, which was nearly identical to a posting on the company's website.
'We regret to share that an anomaly occurred during reentry, specifically, the parachute system failed, resulting in the Nyx capsule impacting the Pacific Ocean and dispersing its contents at sea,' Chafer wrote. 'As a result of this unforeseen event, we believe that we will not be able to recover or return Stephen G. Nielson's flight capsule. We share in your disappointment, and we offer our sincerest gratitude for the trust you placed in us.'
Chafter praised the bravery and ambition of all involved, and noted this was the first Celestis flight designed to return from orbit.
'We also recognize that no technical achievement replaces the profound personal meaning this service holds for you and your family,' he continued, adding, 'Though we currently believe that we cannot return your loved one's capsule, we hope you find some peace in knowing they were part of a historic journey, launched into space, orbited Earth, and are now resting in the vastness of the Pacific.'
Nielson plans to return to North Carolina Wednesday after what she called 'without a doubt one of the weirdest trips of my life.'
'It's unfortunate,' she said. 'But he made it to space and that's what he wanted. Yes, the remains weren't returned. We're just ecstatic and excited that he was able to go to space.'
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