Article originally appeared on Smithsonian Mag
For those who dream to make it to the Moon, and have cash in hand, the company Elysium Space just released an offer to send people to our planet’s luminous natural satellite for the discounted price of $9,950. The only stipulation is that this deal is for non-living persons only, reports Sarah Fecht for Popular Science.
Elysium Space is in the business of building memorials for deceased loved ones on the Moon. Fecht explains that the quoted price above is reserved for the first 50 people to sign up for the service, which sends a small portion of a person’s cremated remains. After that, the special is over and prices start at $11,950. Another space burial company, Celestis, has options starting at $12,500.
Space burial or, more accurately, Moon memorialization (the capsules of remains remain on the surface) is also available for pets from Celestis — a more affordable option may be to send Fluffy to near-Earth orbit for $4,995. These prices may seem steep, but the average total cost for a funeral, burial and headstone ranges between $7,000 and $10,000 on average in North America.
Celestis has been providing space burials since 1997, reports Mike Wall for Space.com. In the past week, Elysium Space announced that they had signed a contract with Astrobiotic Technology, a lunar logistics company based in Pittsburg. “From the first day we started Elysium Space and imagined awe-inspiring memorials, we thought that the Moon could create the quintessential commemoration,” says Thomas Civeit, founder and CEO of Elysium Space in a statement.
People sending their loved ones to a final resting place in space or on the Moon end up having some unique memories that traditional burials don’t offer. There’s the launch event, which like many launches can be watched in person or Elysium Space will offer a professionally produced webcast. Then every night the Moon is in the sky, those still living can look up and see the memorial for their loved one.
If private space companies don’t offer cheaper options to visit in person, while living, these companies just might be the best bet to make it to the Moon.
