New Delhi: A dog’s ashes were among the remains sent into space this weekend as part of a memorial mission honouring loved ones by carrying them beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Franz, a beloved family Labrador, was among 166 small capsules launched aboard the inaugural SpaceX Perseverance flight by Texas-based Celestis Inc. The mission lifted off Sunday around 5:30 pm from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara, California.
Franz died aged 13 in October 202. “He was the best dog, just so soft and nice and loved hugs,” said the dog’s owner, Harvin Moore. The pet was more like a sibling to Mr Moore’s children, Elizabeth and Quinn. Now we can’t wait to watch our good boy go galactic, he told us ahead of the launch.
The flight lasted about three hours, during which the capsules orbited Earth twice. The rocket then re-entered the atmosphere and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean somewhere between Alaska and Hawaii. A recovery ship, stationed at sea ahead of time, tracked and retrieved the capsules before sending them to Germany for processing. Within two months, the remains will be returned to their families.
The cost to send each capsule into space is being with a group of people who are celebrating the life of a loved one in this way. It’s incredible; it’s something we’ll never forget. It’s just pure joy. Houston-based Celestics has a long history of sending DNA and cremated remains of people, pets, and celebrities into space using rockets like the United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan Centaur.
Each capsule, crafted from titanium or aluminium and measuring roughly a quarter to half an inch, contained either DNA or cremated remains. These precious capsules orbited Earth twice aboard a 23-foot-tall SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, travelling at a speed of almost 28,000 km/h in low Earth orbit. Charles Chafer, Celetsis CEO and co-founder, said on Saturday, “Many people whose ashes and DNA are flying are those who always wanted to go to space in their lifetime but were never able to do so.” It also helps families move from feelings of grief to joy.
