Cosmic Burials: Florida Startup Space Beyond Will Send Ashes Into Orbit on SpaceX Transporter 22

Space Beyond, a Florida-based startup, has booked a slot on SpaceX's Transporter 22 to fly a cubesat carrying symbolic portions of cremated remains for people and pets. The company plans an inaugural mission in October 2027 that will place a sealed payload in low Earth orbit for a limited number of years before it re-enters the atmosphere.

What Space Beyond Is Offering

Founded by aerospace engineer Ryan Mitchell, who previously worked at NASA and Blue Origin, Space Beyond sells memorial spaceflight services that place a small, symbolic portion of cremated remains inside a cubesat. The company emphasizes that the term 'space burial' can be misleading: the remains do not stay aloft permanently. After completing its orbital service life, the cubesat will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere and the contents will vaporize, potentially visible as a shooting star.

Launch Details

In a Jan. 23 press release, Space Beyond announced it secured capacity on SpaceX's Transporter 22 rideshare mission. The cubesat will be integrated onto Arrow Science & Technology’s XTERRA spacecraft for the flight. Transporter missions use SpaceX’s two-stage Falcon 9 rocket, a workhorse vehicle for many commercial and government payloads.

The mission is scheduled for October 2027 and could launch from either Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida or Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Once deployed, the cubesat is expected to orbit at roughly 341 miles above Earth in a sun-synchronous orbit for up to five years. A sun-synchronous trajectory allows the satellite to pass over the same geographic locations at consistent times each day.

Cost, Process, and Customer Experience

Space Beyond positions itself as a lower-cost alternative to established memorial spaceflight providers. The company is advertising inaugural seats beginning at $249, compared with competitor pricing that starts at several thousand dollars (for example, Celestis lists some services starting around $3,495).

Customers who reserve a spot receive a preparation kit with step-by-step instructions for packaging and returning a designated, symbolic portion of cremated remains. The ashes are sealed inside the cubesat prior to launch. While the small satellite will not be visible to the naked eye from the ground, Space Beyond will provide mission updates and orbital-tracking data so families can learn when the memorial satellite passes overhead.

Market Context

Space Beyond joins a niche but growing market that includes Houston-based Celestis, which has flown more than two dozen memorial missions since 1997 and carried remains or DNA for notable figures, and San Francisco-based Elysium Space, which has conducted memorial flights since 2015.

Considerations: This service is symbolic—families should understand the limited orbital lifetime, the eventual atmospheric re-entry of the satellite, and any legal or regulatory requirements for transporting human remains. Verify terms, chain-of-custody procedures, and refund or contingency policies before purchase.

Reporting note: Details were compiled from Space Beyond’s public statements and related press coverage. For direct questions about the mission, customers should consult the company or its launch partner for the latest schedule and instructions.

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