Overview

• The SpaceX Transporter-14 rideshare mission launched from Vandenberg on June 23 with more than 70 payloads, including Celestis’ Perseverance Flight carrying over 150 cremated remains and DNA samples into low Earth orbit.
• The Exploration Company’s Mission Possible re-entry capsule completed two orbits before its parachute system failed during descent, preventing a planned splashdown recovery.
• As a result of the malfunction, the memorial capsules dispersed across the Pacific Ocean and are now presumed unrecoverable, prompting Celestis to notify families of the participants.
• Celestis, which pioneered space burial services in 1994 and has flown 25 missions, expressed regret for the loss and gratitude to clients for entrusting their loved ones to its first recoverable orbital memorial.
• The mission also transported cannabis seeds and plant matter for radiation impact studies and acted as a demonstration for The Exploration Company’s Nyx Earth orbital vehicle due to dock with the ISS by 2028.