Latest news with #ExplorationCompany
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."
Hindustan Times
06-07-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Space burial ends in tragedy: Capsule with ashes of 166 people crashes into Pacific Ocean
A unique space capsule, which was carrying the ashes of 166 people, ended up at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean after orbiting around the Earth. A German startup launched the Nyx capsule on "Mission Possible", carrying the remains of 166 people who wanted to be buried in space along with cannabis seeds. A German startup launched the Nyx capsule on "Mission Possible", carrying the remains of 166 people.(The Exploration Company) However, the capsule completed two orbits after it was launched on June 23 and then plummeted to Earth, dropping into the Pacific Ocean. The Exploration Company (TEC) which created the capsule said that Mission Possible was a "partial success" "Our spacecraft Mission Possible achieved partial success (partial failure). The capsule was launched successfully, powered the payloads nominally in orbit, stabilised itself after separation from the launcher, re-entered and re-established communication after blackout," it said in a LinkedIn post. Take a look at the full post here: However, it said that when the capsule returned to Earth's orbit, it 'lost communication' with the company for 'a few minutes before splash down." The startup said that it was still investigating the "root causes" of the sudden crash and will share more information soon. It did, however, apologise to their clients who trusted them with the remains of their loved ones. "We apologize to all our clients who entrusted us with their payloads. We thank our teams for their hard work and their dedication to success. We have been pushing boundaries in record time and cost. This partial success reflects both ambition and the inherent risks of innovation. Leveraging the technical milestones achieved yesterday and the lessons we will extract from our ongoing investigation, we will then prepare to re-fly as soon as possible," it wrote. The Texas-based space burial company Celestis, which was also part of the mission, stated that they will not be able to recover or return the flight capsules or ashes aboard. "We also recognise that no technical achievement replaces the profound personal meaning this service holds for our families,' Celestis co-founder and CEO Charles M Chafer said.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Space Capsule Carrying Ashes of Over 160 People Lost After Crashing into Pacific Ocean
The Nyx capsule, which carried the ashes and DNA of 166 deceased participants courtesy of Texas-based company Celestis, crashed into the Pacific Ocean after its June 23 launch The Exploration Company that launched the capsule said that it was 'investigating the root causes" of what happened Celestis noted that as a result of the crash, they believe that they would 'not be able to recover or return the flight capsules aboard,' which were supposed to return back to Earth to their loved onesA capsule carrying more than 160 souls to the stars met an anticlimactic fate. The Nyx capsule was launched on June 23 as part of the program 'Mission Possible' led by a German start-up called The Exploration Company (TEC), according to the company's website. However, things did not go exactly to plan, with the company sharing in a letter that the payload encountered an 'issue' after its launch. The company said the capsule was 'launched successfully, powered the payloads nominally in-orbit, stabilized itself after separation with the launcher, re-entered and re-established communication after black out," but then things went off script. The company said it 'lost communication' with the capsule 'a few minutes before splash down.' TEC did not say what could have caused the issue, but is 'investigating the root causes.' 'We apologize to all our clients who entrusted us with their payloads,' the company said in a statement in the letter. One of these clients was Celestis, a Texas-based company that offers to send loved one's ashes into space. The company noted on its website that its 'Perseverance Flight' carrying the ashes and DNA of 166 deceased participants was launched aboard the TEC's Nyx spacecraft. The company noted that this was the first Celestis mission in which the ashes were 'designed to return from orbit.' The company said that the spacecraft 'completed two orbits around Earth' — which they say met their 'criteria for a successful Earth Orbit service' — but then when it initiated its return trajectory, 'an anomaly occurred and the vehicle was lost shortly after re-entry.' This issue caused the Nyx capsule to crash into the Pacific Ocean, 'dispersing its contents at sea,' according to the company. As a result of this, they believe that they would 'not be able to recover or return the flight capsules aboard.' '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,' the company said in a statement. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. According to Popular Mechanics, ashes weren't the only thing on board the space capsule. Cannabis plant matter and seeds launched as part of a citizen science project called Martian Grow were also on board the capsule. The Nyx capsule, dubbed 'Mission Possible,' was TEC's 'second spacecraft to reach orbit in under four years,' according to the company's website. The launch was also the first for TEC's Nyx capsule, which they designed in order to transport crew and cargo to and from LEO and beyond. 'We are continuing our journey, eager to implement these learnings in our next vehicle,' said Hélène Huby, Founder & CEO. 'We will learn from Mission Possible and improve, together as a team. I express my profound gratitude to The Exploration Company's team members who are demonstrating outstanding solidarity, resilience, and commitment to the success of our mission.' Read the original article on People
WIRED
25-06-2025
- Science
- WIRED
A European Startup's Spacecraft Made It to Orbit. Now It's Lost at Sea
Eric Berger, Ars Technica Jun 25, 2025 4:25 PM The Exploration Company lost contact with its 'Mission Possible' vehicle a few minutes before touchdown in the ocean. Photographer: The Exploration Company A European company that seeks to develop orbital spacecraft for cargo, and eventually humans, took a step forward this week with a test flight that saw its "Mission Possible" vehicle power up and fly successfully in orbit before making a controlled reentry into Earth's atmosphere. However, after encountering an "issue," the Exploration Company lost contact with its spacecraft a few minutes before touchdown in the ocean. In an update on LinkedIn Tuesday morning, the company characterized the test flight as a partial success—and a partial failure. "The capsule was launched successfully, powered the payloads nominally in-orbit, stabilized itself after separation with the launcher, re-entered and re-established communication after black out," the company said in a statement. "We are still investigating the root causes and will share more information soon. We apologize to all our clients who entrusted us with their payloads." Maybe It Was the Parachutes Reestablishing communications with the spacecraft after the blackout period suggests that the vehicle got through the most thermally challenging part of reentry into Earth's atmosphere and perhaps validated the spacecraft's handling and ability to withstand maximum heating. Following this, according to the company's timeline for Mission Possible, the capsule's parachutes were due to deploy at a velocity between Mach 0.8 and Mach 0.6. The parachutes were selected for their "proven flight heritage," the company said, and were procured from US-based Airborne Systems, which provides parachutes used by SpaceX's Dragon, Boeing's Starliner, and other spacecraft. Given when the spacecraft was lost, it seems most likely that there was a problem with the deployment of the drogue or main parachutes. Mission Possible was a 2.5-meter diameter demonstration vehicle that was among the larger payloads launched Monday afternoon on SpaceX's Transporter 14 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The mission sought to test four primary areas of spaceflight: structural performance in orbital flight, surviving reentry, autonomous navigation, and recovery in real-world conditions. It only clearly failed in this final task, recovering the vehicle within three days to return on-board payloads to customers. Meeting an Aggressive Timeline It is refreshing to have such clear and concise communication from a space company, especially the acknowledgment that a flight was a partial failure, within hours of launch. And it is not a surprise that there were technical challenges on a vehicle that was put together fairly rapidly and at a low cost. In an interview with Ars last November, the founder of The Exploration Company, Hélène Huby, said Mission Possible was developed at a cost of about $20 million in 2.5 years, in addition to $10 million for the rideshare launch on the Falcon 9 rocket. At the time, she said Mission Possible was on track to launch this summer, and the company met this timeline. Given the potential issues with the parachute system or other problems near touchdown, it is possible that The Exploration Company may fly another subscale demonstration mission before moving into development of its full-size Nyx cargo spacecraft. "This partial success reflects both ambition and the inherent risks of innovation," the company said Tuesday morning. "Leveraging the technical milestones achieved yesterday and the lessons we will extract from our ongoing investigation, we will then prepare to re-fly as soon as possible." Working Toward Nyx To date, the company has raised more than $230 million and plans to use much of that for the development of Nyx, which could fly as early as 2028 and focus on cargo delivery missions to low-Earth orbit. By demonstrating this capability, Huby said her company would like to secure funding from the European Space Agency to develop a crew-rated version of the spacecraft and a vehicle to return cargo from the Moon. This is not an unreasonable plan. SpaceX required significant funding from NASA, nearly $3 billion, to develop its Crew Dragon vehicle after demonstrating an initial cargo version. Huby said The Exploration Company would require a similar amount of funding from European nations. It is not possible to raise that money from private capital markets right now by promising a great return a decade from now. By one metric, Monday's flight was a significant success. Compared to the United States and China, the commercial space industry in Europe has lagged behind, beset by a less favorable environment for startups and opposition by large, traditional space companies that have dominated Europe's orbital activities for decades. The Exploration Company reached space with a fairly large vehicle and flew it back through Earth's atmosphere less than four years after its founding. This is a credible start for the company. This story originally appeared on Ars Technica.
