{keyword:Space Beyond} {keyword:SpaceX} Falcon 9 Mission: {stat:$249} Space Burials Launching in {stat:2027}

Becoming a star just got a whole lot cheaper. Ryan Mitchell, a former manufacturing engineer at Blue Origin and NASA, is disrupting the memorial industry with his startup Space Beyond. The company's "Ashes to Space" program aims to send human remains into orbit for as little as $249, a fraction of the cost of current competitors.

Space Beyond Partners with SpaceX for 2027 Launch

On Thursday, Space Beyond announced a launch services agreement with Arrow Science and Technology. The deal secures a spot for the startup's CubeSat on a SpaceXFalcon 9 rideshare mission scheduled for October 2027. This miniature satellite is designed to carry the ashes of up to 1,000 individuals into the final frontier.

The choice of a rideshare model is key to the startup's affordability. By integrating small CubeSats into larger missions, Space Beyond can leverage the efficiency of SpaceX's reusable rockets. "I’m not looking to make a billion dollars doing this," Mitchell told TechCrunch, highlighting his goal to provide a meaningful service without the traditional funeral industry's high markups.

A Five-Year Orbit and a Symbolic Farewell

The mission will place the satellite in a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of approximately 550 kilometers. This specific orbit allows the spacecraft to pass over the entire globe, enabling families to track its location in the night sky using modern tracking services.

Due to weight constraints, each customer can only send about one gram of ashes. After five years, the aluminum satellite and its precious cargo will re-enter Earth's atmosphere, burning up as a symbolic fireball. Mitchell notes this approach also prevents the creation of long-term space debris.