Latest news with #CharlesChafer
Daily Mirror
08-07-2025
- Science
- Daily Mirror
Ashes of 166 people lost after blunder by firm offering 'funerals in space'
The Exploration Company (TEC) is investigating how the ashes were lost during the mission, attempted to have been completed for the American space burial company Celestis The ashes of more than 150 people have been lost - and are unlikely to be recovered - after a company which promises " funerals in space" suffered a catastrophic glitch. The Nyx Mission Possible had seen a module containing the urns orbit the planet twice in late June. It was supposed to return the objects to Earth and the bereaved families but communication with the capsule was lost during re-entry, and it crashed into the Pacific Ocean. In addition to the 166 human remains, the module also carried plant material and cannabis seeds. The cargo was part of an experiment on the effects of microgravity on the cultivation of the plant, with a focus on future missions to Mars. The mission was carried out by TEC for the American company Celestis, which offers memorial flights to space. Celestis has now conceded "it will not be possible to recover or return the flight capsules" and TEC has apologised to customers who had "entrusted [them] with their cargo". Celestis' service sees families send ashes or DNA samples of people and pets for a posthumous tribute. After orbiting Earth, the capsule returns. A video of key moments from the mission is provided to commemorate "the day your loved one touched the sky," Celestis says. The company, founded in 1994, has already sent the remains of people linked to the science fiction work Star Trek into space, including the series' creator, Gene Roddenberry. But the blunder this week saw communications with the capsule lost at an altitude of 26 km (16 miles). An investigation is underway into the loss of contact, after which the device plunged into the Pacific Ocean. In a statement posted on LinkedIn, TEC said: "From an orbital altitude of 550 km (340 miles), the capsule successfully re-entered in a controlled manner, with communication re-established after maximum warm-up. However, communications were lost at an altitude of 26 km, shortly before the phase preceding parachute deployment." In a previous statement, TEC apologised "to all our customers who entrusted us with their cargo." Charles Chafer, CEO of Celestis, which hired TEC, said this was the first mission in which capsules would return to Earth. He said: "As a result of this unexpected event, we believe it will not be possible to recover or return the flight capsules. We share the families' disappointment and offer our sincerest gratitude for their trust. "We hope families will find some comfort in knowing their loved ones were part of a historic journey. Launched into space, orbiting the Earth, and now resting in the vastness of the Pacific, akin to a traditional and honorable scattering at sea."
Times of Oman
07-07-2025
- Science
- Times of Oman
German space capsule lost carrying ashes of 166 people
Bavaria: Bavaria-based startup The Exploration Company (TEC) says it is investigating the loss of a space capsule that was carrying the ashes of 166 people back to their families. The "Nyx Mission Possible" craft had been due to return the ashes to Earth — and the bereaved — after orbiting the planet twice in late June. However, an anomaly occurred and the capsule was lost during its planned re-entry. What did TEC say about the missing capsule? In a statement posted on professional networking site LinkedIn, TEC said it had re-established communication with the capsule upon reentry — after a standard blackout because of the heat — before losing it again. "From an orbital altitude of 550 kilometers [about 340 miles], the capsule re-entered successfully in a controlled manner, with communication established post maximum heat. Communications were, however, lost at 26 km altitude, just before the transonic phase preceding the opening of the parachutes." "To better understand the outcomes, we have established an independent investigation team. Their findings will be shared with our clients, investors, and internal teams." In an earlier statement, TEC apologised "to all our clients who entrusted us with their payloads." What more do we know about the flight? Charles Chafer, co-founder and CEO of the Texas-based "memorial spaceflight" company Celestis, who hired TEC, said it was the first time that such a reentry had been attempted. "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." "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." As well as the human remains, the Nyx capsule had been carrying cannabis plant material and seeds for a citizen science project to study the viability of growing cannabis on Mars. In 2024, Celestis sent the remains of several people connected with the cult series "Star Trek" on a final journey into space, including the series' creator, Gene Roddenberry and his wife, Majel Barret Roddenberry, who was one of the actors.
DW
07-07-2025
- Science
- DW
German space capsule lost carrying ashes of 166 people – DW – 07/07/2025
A German startup is looking into how communications were lost with a memorial space flight capsule on its return to Earth. The Nyx craft was due to return ashes to bereaved families after the extraterrestrial trip. Bavaria-based startup The Exploration Company (TEC) says it is investigating the loss of a space capsule that was carrying the ashes of 166 people back to their families. The "Nyx Mission Possible" craft had been due to return the ashes to Earth — and the bereaved — after orbiting the planet twice in late June. However, an anomaly occurred and the capsule was lost during its planned re-entry. In a statement posted on professional networking site LinkedIn, TEC said it had re-established communication with the capsule upon reentry — after a standard blackout because of the heat — before losing it again. "From an orbital altitude of 550 kilometers [about 340 miles], the capsule re-entered successfully in a controlled manner, with communication established post maximum heat. Communications were, however, lost at 26km altitude, just before the transonic phase preceding the opening of the parachutes." "To better understand the outcomes, we have established an independent investigation team. Their findings will be shared with our clients, investors, and internal teams." In an earlier statement, TEC apologized "to all our clients who entrusted us with their payloads." Charles Chafer, co-founder and CEO of the Texas-based "memorial space flight" company Celestis that , said it was the first time that such a reentry had been attempted. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "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." "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." As well as the human remains, the Nyx capsule had been carrying cannabis plant material and seeds for a citizen science project to study the viability of growing cannabis on Mars.
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Families Get Unpleasant Surprise After Trying to Shoot Their Loved Ones' Ashes Into Space
Hundreds of families shelled out to pay an out-of-this-world tribute to their lost loved ones — but tragically, their mortal remains ended up floating in the Pacific thanks to an error with the capsule they were riding in. As the Chicago Sun-Times reports, a capsule containing the ashes and DNA of some 166 departed souls was slated to orbit Earth for three hours this week before being splashing down safely into the Pacific Ocean and being returned to the families of the deceased loved ones. After orbiting Earth twice, the capsule operated by the so-called "space burial" company Celestis re-entered Earth's atmosphere normally, but failed to launch the parachutes that would have given it a softer landing in the ocean. As a result, the capsule impacted the water and, as Celestis CEO Charles Chafer noted in a statement to the Sun-Times, "[dispersed] 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," Chafer continued. "We share in the disappointment of our families, and we offer our sincerest gratitude for their trust." One such family member, the son of the late Curtis Lau, had been very exhilarated by the prospect of sending his dad's ashes into space with Celestis, which has conducted similar memorial spaceflights for nearly 30 years. "It's obviously a unique thing we are able to do," 28-year-old Griffin Lau told the Sun-Times ahead of the launch earlier this week. "This was a wish for my father, so I also appreciate the ability to share his story and memorialize him." The elder Lau had been, as his son explained, a lifelong space enthusiast who would travel from his home in Wisconsin down to Cape Canaveral, Florida to watch rocket launches at the Kennedy Space Center. After he passed away last summer, his family decided to shell out nearly $3,500 to give his ashes a posthumous joyride in low-Earth orbit. In the aftermath of the "anomaly" that caused his dad's ashes to meet a watery grave, however, the son was less stoked. "It's a bummer," Lau said, "but admittedly, they take only a small part of the remains." More on space mishaps: Nobel Prize Winner Warns About Astronomers Using AI to Make Discoveries
India Today
23-06-2025
- Business
- India Today
SpaceX to launch 150 capsules with cremated human remains to space
SpaceX is set to launch its Transporter-14 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Tuesday, marking another development in the growing field of memorial the dozens of payloads on board, the Perseverance Flight, a project by Houston-based company Celestis, will carry more than 150 capsules containing cremated human remains and DNA samples from clients around the Perseverance Flight is designed as a unique memorial experience. After reaching low Earth orbit, the capsule will complete two or three circuits around the planet before reentering the atmosphere. The memorial capsules, protected inside the Mission Possible reentry vehicle, will then splash down in the Pacific teams will retrieve the capsules and return them to clients as cherished keepsakes, offering families a tangible connection to their loved ones' journey through Sunday, June 22 for a Falcon 9 launch of the Transporter-14 mission from Space Launch Complex 4E in California. Teams are keeping an eye on weather SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 21, 2025This mission marks Celestis' 12th 'Earth Rise' flight and its 25th overall space mission, reflecting the company's growing role in the memorial spaceflight is pleased to offer a new type of Earth Rise mission, thanks to The Exploration Company,' said Charles Chafer, Celestis co-founder and CEO. 'Our participants' capsules will orbit the Earth and return via the Mission Possible capsule, creating a spectacular liftoff and recovery experience'.The Falcon 9 booster, B1071, will follow a southward trajectory after launch to place its rideshare payloads into Sun-synchronous orbit before landing on the 'Of Course I Still Love You' droneship in the those making history on this flight is three-year-old Matteo Barth, who will become the youngest German—and the youngest European overall—to send his DNA into space, symbolically joining his late grandfather, Dieter Barth, in this mission, SpaceX and Celestis continue to expand the possibilities for personal memorials, blending cutting-edge space technology with deeply personal human Watch
