The Transporter-5 rideshare mission, launched by SpaceX on May 25 is transporting the mortal remains of 47 people for cremation in space. This was SpaceX’s 22nd rocket mission of the year, and the firm’s 18th space burial flight.
The mission, which launched before 2:30 p.m. EDT on Wednesday from Space Launch Complex 40 in Florida is intended to serve as a satellite ‘Uber pool’. The Transporter-5 mission consists of several small satellites stuffed into a single rocket that will transmit them to the sun synchronus orbit for celestial funeral.
#SpaceX's F9 #Transporter5 mission is scheduled for liftoff this afternoon 2:27pm ET. The rocket will be carrying 59 different payloads including the Ascension module including 47 cremated human remains. About 8 minutes after liftoff, F9’s first stage will land back @ LZ-1 #NASA pic.twitter.com/mKRNrBDJtb
— Greg Scott (@GregScott_photo) May 25, 2022
“These satellites bring a slew of human remains that orbit the planet for around a decade before dropping back to Earth and being burned up in the atmosphere, befitting a shooting star falling back to Earth.” Charles Chafer CEO Space Service Holdings Inc
Among other things, the mission transports the ashes of Marjorie Dufton, who was once the youngest female flight instructor in the United States. The firm’s first payload, which initiated from the Canary Islands in 1997, was lipstick-tube sized components of 24 people’s remains.
The mission transports the remnants of a guy who had a desire for astronomy but could not fly into space while alive.
“When I proposed the idea , I was going to look for something that might bring commercial space activities to a mass market, Obviously everyone dies at some point” Chafer added
The company’s next memorial flight is scheduled for sometime in 2023, and the firm is currently accepting participants.
Cover Image: SpaceX/TWITTER