An Out of This World Funeral

Looking for a different way to leave this earth? A new startup company called Elysium Space will "bury" you in outer space! Actually they'll send your cremated remains (or those of any dearly departed) into the Earth's orbit for just under $2,000. Reservations are currently accepted for next summer's first "memorial spaceflight" launch from Cape Canaveral, Fla. According to its website, "Elysium Space offers awe-inspiring celestial services to honor and celebrate the life of someone you love." A spacecraft containing capsulated cremated ashes will be launched into Earth orbit for several months. Family and friends of the former loved ones can follow the orbital journey via a special mobile app, which will show the spacecraft's current location. Former NASA software engineer Thomas Civeit founded Elysium Space, which has contracts with space flight companies. Another spacefaring company, Celestis, is already offering similar space burial services for much more money -- around $5,000 -- but also includes a cheaper $995 flight that only goes up as high as zero-gravity before returning to Earth. Elysium Space's $1,990 fee is actually a burial bargain when compared to the $6,000 average funeral cost these days, based on National Funeral Directors Association figures.

(Source - Huffington Post)