Taurus Missile launch (time exposure)

Space burial is a burial procedure in which a small sample of the cremated ashes of the deceased are placed in a capsule the size of a tube of lipstick and are launched using a rocket. As of 2004, samples of about 150 people have been "buried" in space. Download high resolution version (1170x1395, 75 KB)Time exposure photo of a Taurus Missile Launch from Vanbenberg AFB on March 12 2000 (not May 12 as the picture title states in error), carrying a DOE research satellite. ... Download high resolution version (1170x1395, 75 KB)Time exposure photo of a Taurus Missile Launch from Vanbenberg AFB on March 12 2000 (not May 12 as the picture title states in error), carrying a DOE research satellite. ... For the musician, see Burial (musician). ... The crematorium at Haycombe Cemetery, Bath, England. ... Lipstick is a cosmetic product containing pigments, oils, waxes, and emollients that applies color and texture to the lips. ... A Soyuz rocket, at Baikanur launch pad. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Technical and economical aspects

The effort and cost of launching an object into space is very high. Furthermore, the cost is directly related to the payload, i.e. the mass of the object. Therefore various measures are taken to reduce the mass of the burial, which usually include:

• The corpse is cremated, reducing the mass of the remains to about 5% of the initial mass (a few kilograms).
• Only a small sample of the ashes is included, typically only 1 g or 7 g. The remainder of the ashes can be buried conventionally in the earth or in the sea.

Other measures to reduce cost include: Burial at Sea for two victims of a Japanese submarine attack on the US aircraft carrier Liscome Bay, November 1943 Burial at sea describes the procedure of disposing of human remains in the ocean. ...

• No rockets are specifically launched for this purpose; the samples of the remains are just part of the payload.
• Multiple remains are buried with the same rocket, although usually the remains are in separate capsules.

The capsules are kept together in a flight container, e.g. attached to the upper stage engine of the rocket, to avoid additional "space debris". Space debris or orbital debris, also called space junk and space waste, are the objects in orbit around Earth created by man that no longer serve any useful purpose. ...

The second factor greatly influencing the cost includes the target location of the payload. Most burials do not actually leave the gravitational field of the earth but only achieve an orbit around earth. Some may not even do this, but just fly up beyond the commonly accepted 50-mile boundary where 'space' starts, and then descend again. When orbit is achieved, the capsules containing the samples of the remains circle the earth, until the upper layers of the Earth's atmosphere have slowed down the capsules, and they reenter the atmosphere (perhaps as little as a week or two later). The capsules burn up upon reentry similar to a shooting star, and the ashes are scattered in the atmosphere. The time between launch and reentry depends on the orbit of the satellite, and can vary widely. Gravity is a force of attraction that acts between bodies that have mass. ... Earth orbit is an orbit around the planet Earth. ... Layers of Atmosphere - not to scale (NOAA)[2] Earths atmosphere is a layer of gases surrounding the planet Earth and retained by the Earths gravity. ... Atmospheric entry is the transition from the vacuum of space to the atmosphere of any planet or other celestial body. ... Shooting star may refer to: a meteor when seen from Earth Shooting Star, a song by Elliott Smith from his album From a Basement on the Hill Shooting Star a song by Bad Company from the album Straight Shooter Shooting Star is a rock band from Kansas City, MO famous...

NASA’s Lunar Prospector space probe carried the remains of Dr. Eugene Shoemaker

There are a number of alternative options if a reentry into the earth atmosphere is not desired. All of them are more complex and expensive than a burial in earth orbit. If an object leaves the gravitational field of the earth, it enters the gravitational field of another body in space. The closest object near the earth for that purpose is the moon. Although the moon is technically also in the gravitational field of the earth, it will not hit the earth within any human timeframe. A service is available for space burial on the moon. As of 2005, the only person buried this way is Dr. Eugene Shoemaker, (April 28, 1928 - July 18, 1997), best known for co-discovering the Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9. NASA Lunar Prosepector taken from NASA website: lunar. ... NASA Lunar Prosepector taken from NASA website: lunar. ... Eugene Shoemaker at a stereoscopic microscope used for asteroid discovery Eugene Merle Shoemaker (or Gene Shoemaker) (April 28, 1928 – July 18, 1997) was one of the founders of the fields of planetary science and is best known for co-discovering the Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with his wife Carolyn... Apparent magnitude: up to -12. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Eugene Shoemaker at a stereoscopic microscope used for asteroid discovery Eugene Merle Shoemaker (or Gene Shoemaker) (April 28, 1928 – July 18, 1997) was one of the founders of the fields of planetary science and is best known for co-discovering the Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with his wife Carolyn... April 28 is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 247 days remaining. ... Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar). ... July 18 is the 199th day (200th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 166 days remaining. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Hubble Space Telescope image of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, taken on May 17, 1994. ...

If the moon is still too close, it is possible to launch the remains into outer space, although this is the most costly space burial currently available. In January 2006, the cremated remains of Clyde Tombaugh were sent on the New Horizons, which will go beyond Pluto [1]. Layers of Atmosphere - not to scale (NOAA)[1] Outer space, also simply called space, refers to the relatively empty regions of the universe outside the atmospheres of celestial bodies. ... An image of Clyde Tombaugh Clyde William Tombaugh (February 4, 1906 – January 17, 1997) was an American astronomer who discovered the dwarf planet Pluto in 1930. ... New Horizons is a robotic spacecraft mission conducted by NASA. It is expected to be the first spacecraft to fly by and study the dwarf planet Pluto and its moons, Charon, Nix and Hydra. ... Adjectives: Plutonian Atmosphere Surface pressure: 0. ...

History

The practice of space burials is a very recent practice due to the technical difficulties involved in launching an object into space. Since the procedure is pointless while the cost is high, this is typically a procedure offered to rich Americans who have an almost religious fervor for science and technology. The very first space burial Earthview 01: The Founders Flight was launched on April 21, 1997. An aircraft carried a modified Pegasus rocket containing samples of the remains of 24 people to an altitude of 11 km (38,000 feet) above the Canary Islands. The rocket then carried the remains on an elliptical orbit with an apogee of 578 km (361 miles) and a perigee of 551 km (344 miles), rotating around earth once every 96 minutes until reentry on May 20, 2002, northeast of Australia. Famous people 'buried' on this flight were Gene Roddenberry and Timothy Leary. April 21 is the 111th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (112th in leap years). ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Pegasus rocket on the ground Pegasus rocket attached to bottom of carrier aircraft The Pegasus rocket is a winged space booster developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation (Orbital). ... The Canaries is the nickname of Norwich City FC. The Canaries is also the nickname of Hitchin Town F.C.. Capital Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife Official language(s) Spanish Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 13th  7,447 km²  1. ... This article is about several astronomical terms (apogee & perigee, aphelion & perihelion, generic equivalents based on apsis, and related but rarer terms. ... Perigee is the point at which an object in orbit around the Earth makes its closest approach to the Earth. ... The orbital period is the time it takes a planet (or another object) to make one full orbit. ... May 20 is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (141st in leap years). ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Gene Roddenberry Eugene Wesley Roddenberry (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was an American scriptwriter and producer. ... For the American baseball player use Tim Leary (baseball player) Timothy Francis Leary, Ph. ...

Taurus launch from Vandenberg AFB

The second space 'burial' was the burial of a sample of the remains of Dr. Eugene Shoemaker on the moon by the Lunar Prospector probe, launched on January 7, 1998 by a three-stage Athena rocket. The probe containing scientific instruments and the ashes of Dr. Shoemaker impacted the moon near the lunar south pole on 4:52 a.m. Central Daylight Time, July 31, 1999. Download high resolution version (938x1500, 99 KB)Taurus Missile Launch from Vanbenberg AFB on March 12 2000 (not May 12 as the picture title states in error), carrying a DOE research satellite. ... Download high resolution version (938x1500, 99 KB)Taurus Missile Launch from Vanbenberg AFB on March 12 2000 (not May 12 as the picture title states in error), carrying a DOE research satellite. ... Eugene Shoemaker at a stereoscopic microscope used for asteroid discovery Eugene Merle Shoemaker (or Gene Shoemaker) (April 28, 1928 – July 18, 1997) was one of the founders of the fields of planetary science and is best known for co-discovering the Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with his wife Carolyn... NASAs Lunar Prospector The Lunar Prospector mission was the third selected by NASA for full development and construction as part of the Discovery Program. ... January 7 is the seventh day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean [1]. // Coated in ice, power and telephone lines sag and often break, resulting in power outages. ... Helmeted Athena, of the Velletri type. ... July 31 is the 212th day (213th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 153 days remaining. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

The list of space 'burials' to date:

• April 21, 1997: 24 remains samples launched into earth orbit on a modified Pegasus rocket
• January 7, 1998: Sample of the remains of Eugene Shoemaker as secondary payload on a three-stage Athena rocket to the moon
• February 10, 1998: 30 remains samples as a secondary payload launched into earth orbit on a Taurus missile
• December 20, 1999: 36 remains samples as a secondary payload launched into earth orbit on a Taurus missile
• September 21, 2001: 43 remains samples as a secondary payload launched into earth orbit on a Taurus missile

April 21 is the 111th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (112th in leap years). ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Pegasus rocket on the ground Pegasus rocket attached to bottom of carrier aircraft The Pegasus rocket is a winged space booster developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation (Orbital). ... January 7 is the seventh day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean [1]. // Coated in ice, power and telephone lines sag and often break, resulting in power outages. ... Eugene Shoemaker at a stereoscopic microscope used for asteroid discovery Eugene Merle Shoemaker (or Gene Shoemaker) (April 28, 1928 – July 18, 1997) was one of the founders of the fields of planetary science and is best known for co-discovering the Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with his wife Carolyn... Helmeted Athena, of the Velletri type. ... February 10 is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean [1]. // Coated in ice, power and telephone lines sag and often break, resulting in power outages. ... Taurus is an German/Swedish air-launched cruise missile, manufactured by EADS, Saab Bofors Dynamics and used by Germany and Sweden. ... December 20 is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... September 21 is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years). ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Outlook

Currently, only one company, Space Services Inc., offers space burials. Space Services took over the assets of Celestis, Inc., which launched four flights from 1997 to 2001. As science progresses it is expected that the cost and difficulties of space burials will be reduced, and other companies may enter the market.

As of 2006, only cremated remains have been buried.

Full body burial

To date, the notion of sending an intact human corpse into outer space for burial is simply too expensive and complex to be of any current practical use.

Religious aspects

At least one service for burial in space was planned. As part of the contingency plans for the Apollo 11 mission, if the astronauts were unable to return from the lunar landing, a funeral service would be held for them on Earth, similar to the service for burial at sea, with references to the ocean omitted and replaced with "the deepest of the deep." (See In Event of Moon Disaster) Apollo 11 was the first manned mission to land on the Moon. ... Burial at Sea for two victims of a Japanese submarine attack on the US aircraft carrier Liscome Bay, November 1943 Burial at sea describes the procedure of disposing of human remains in the ocean. ... In Event of Moon Disaster was a proposed speech drafted by William Safire. ...

It should be noted, though, that most religions do not provide special instructions for space burial due to the procedure being only a recent development, and only around 150 people have been buried in space so far. As only a small portion of the remains are buried, a regular funeral and burial ceremony can be performed according to the beliefs of the deceased, and only a small part of the remains are diverted into space. Due to the infrequency of the flights, the sample of the remains have to be stored until the next launch. Also, not all religions allow the bodies of deceased to be cremated, as is often done in space burial.

Famous people 'buried' in space

Launched to Earth orbit on April 21, 1997

• Gene Roddenberry (August 19, 1921 - October 24, 1991), creator of Star Trek.
• Gerard O'Neill (1927-1992) space physicist.
• Krafft Ehricke, (1917-1984) rocket scientist.
• Timothy Leary, (October 22, 1920 - May 31, 1996), American writer, psychologist, and drug campaigner.

April 21 is the 111th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (112th in leap years). ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Gene Roddenberry Eugene Wesley Roddenberry (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was an American scriptwriter and producer. ... August 19 is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for full calendar). ... October 24 is the 297th day of the year (298th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 68 days remaining. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The current Star Trek franchise logo Star Trek is an American science fiction franchise. ... Gerard Kitchen ONeill (1927 - 1992) was a U.S. physicist and space pioneer. ... 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar). ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... Year 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the American baseball player use Tim Leary (baseball player) Timothy Francis Leary, Ph. ... October 22 is the 295th day of the year (296th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 70 days remaining. ... Year 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... May 31 is the 151st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (152nd in leap years), with 214 days remaining. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... The term writer can apply to anyone who creates a written work, but the word more usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, or those who have written in many different forms. ... A psychologist is a scientist and/or clinician who studies psychology, the systematic investigation of the human mind, including behavior and cognition. ... Oral medication A medication is any drug taken to cure or reduce the symptoms of an illness or ongoing medical condition. ...

'Buried' on the moon on July 31, 1999

• Dr. Eugene Shoemaker, (April 28, 1928 - July 18, 1997), Astronomer and co-discoverer of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9.

July 31 is the 212th day (213th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 153 days remaining. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Eugene Shoemaker at a stereoscopic microscope used for asteroid discovery Eugene Merle Shoemaker (or Gene Shoemaker) (April 28, 1928 – July 18, 1997) was one of the founders of the fields of planetary science and is best known for co-discovering the Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with his wife Carolyn... April 28 is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 247 days remaining. ... Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar). ... July 18 is the 199th day (200th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 166 days remaining. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Hubble Space Telescope image of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, taken on May 17, 1994. ...

Launched to Earth orbit on December 20, 1999

• Charles Oren Bennett (January 21, 1928-1999), space illustrator

December 20 is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... January 21 is the 21st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar). ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...

Launched in outer Space on January 19, 2006

• Clyde Tombaugh (February 4, 1906 – January 17, 1997), American astronomer and discoverer of the former planet Pluto in 1930.

January 19 is the 19th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... An image of Clyde Tombaugh Clyde William Tombaugh (February 4, 1906 – January 17, 1997) was an American astronomer who discovered the dwarf planet Pluto in 1930. ... Adjectives: Plutonian Atmosphere Surface pressure: 0. ...

Launched on a 90 second sub-orbital flight on April 28, 2007

• James Doohan, (March 3, 1920 – July 20, 2005) actor, best known for his portrayal of Scotty in the television and movie series Star Trek
• Leroy Gordon "Gordo" Cooper, Jr. (March 6, 1927 – October 4, 2004), an American astronaut. He was one of the original Mercury Seven pilots in the Project Mercury program, the first manned-space effort by the United States.

April 28 is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 247 days remaining. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... James Montgomery Doohan (March 3, 1920 – July 20, 2005) was an Irish Canadian character and voice actor who is best remembered for his role as Montgomery Scotty Scott in the television and film series Star Trek. ... March 3 is the 62nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (63rd in leap years). ... Year 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... July 20 is the 201st day (202nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 164 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke while waiting between takes during location filming An actor or actress is a person who acts, or plays a role, in a dramatic production. ... Scotty redirects here. ... Film is a term that encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. ... The current Star Trek franchise logo Star Trek is an American science fiction franchise. ... Coopers work often had him wearing a helmet and pressure suit as above. ... March 6 is the 65th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (66th in leap years). ... 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar). ... October 4 is the 277th day of the year (278th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Original seven Astronauts portrait (L-R: Schirra, Shepard, Slayton, Grissom, Glenn, Cooper, Carpenter) The Mercury Seven was the group of seven Mercury astronauts picked in April 1959. ... Mercury program monument Project Mercury was the United States first manned spaceflight program. ...

Fictional characters buried in space

In science fiction, dead characters are sometimes buried in space, by analogy to the naval tradition of burial at sea. This list is a very abbreviated one, since in most American 'space westerns' large numbers of characters are likely to die, and hence be 'buried' in space. For example, in Star Wars 1 an entire planet is disintegrated by the Death Star, presumably 'burying' all persons who ever existed ther in space. Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Burial at Sea for two victims of a Japanese submarine attack on the US aircraft carrier Liscome Bay, November 1943 Burial at sea describes the procedure of disposing of human remains in the ocean. ... Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is a 1999 science fantasy film written and directed by George Lucas. ... The first Death Star, with TIE Fighters flying from it. ...

• Hawk Hawkins, in the movie Space Cowboys, died on the moon. Hawkins, after personally making sure an out-of-control nuclear satellite was steered out of Earth's way, managed to land on the Moon and, sitting against a boulder, gazed at the Earth until his air ran out.
• Robert A. Heinlein's 1940 short story "Requiem" describes how the industrialist Delos D. Harriman who funded the first flight to the Moon but was never allowed to fly there himself finally gets there as an old man, dying after landing. He is buried there with Robert Louis Stevenson's "Requiem" for the epitaph.
• Captain Spock, from Star Trek, was buried in an empty photon torpedo casing and fired onto the rapidly forming Genesis planet, which initiated his rebirth.
• Captain Future, the hero of the Edmond Hamilton stories with the same name, received a space burial. However, later it was revealed that Captain Future is still alive, and a Doppelgänger has been buried instead.
• Ovaron, a character of the Perry Rhodan series, is buried in space in Volume 722: "A Message for Ovaron".
• Breckcrown Hayes, a character of the Perry Rhodan series, is buried in space in Volume 1048: "Atlan's Return".
• Frank Poole in 2001: A Space Odyssey, is killed during extra-vehicular activity and dragged off to space by an uncontrolled capsule, so he isn't actually buried; he is revived after his drifting body is found in 3001: The Final Odyssey. However David Bowman buries in space several other crewmembers whom the HAL 9000 killed during revival from hibernation.
• A space burial for Philip J. Fry, delivery boy, appears in Futurama episode "The Sting", but only in another character's extended dream sequence.
• Philip J. Fry, the first person on Mars in the Futurama episode "The Luck of the Fryrish". He is named after his uncle, listed above. However, his burial was in a conventional graveyard in a space station named Orbiting Meadows National Cemetery.
• Lieutenant John Kelly, a minor character on Star Trek: Voyager. He was the commander of the ill-fated Ares 4 mission to Mars. Lieutenant Kelly disappeared on October 19, 2032, captured by a graviton ellipse and died on board his spacecraft on October 25th. Kelly's body was retrieved by the crew of the USS Voyager and buried in space circa stardate 53301.2 in 2376.
• Numerous other Star Trek characters have also been buried in space.
• Christopher "Maverick" Blair, in the original Wing Commander, is given a space burial if killed during a mission.
• Kane, from the movie Alien is buried in space, being the first human killed by the creature.
• In Babylon 5, multiple characters are given space burials by having their caskets sent into a star. The ritual always ends with the quote, "From the stars we came, and to the stars we return, from now until the end of time. We therefore commit this body to the deep."
• S.R. Hadden, owner of Hadden Industries, is buried in space after dying of cancer on Mir in the film Contact. This is different from the book the movie is adapted from, where Hadden is not terminally ill and voluntarily chooses to leave earth in a space-bound "casket" while still alive. The "casket" is actually a small spacecraft capable of leaving Earth orbit for deep space, although the lack of any kind of superluminal propulsion means Hadden will undergo cryogenic hibernation to allow him to survive the thousands of years needed to cover interstellar distances.
• The entire crew of Red Dwarf, following the radiation disaster except for David Lister (as shown in a deleted scene - note that if this scene was left in, it would contradict a later series' resurrection of the crew). The first burial shown on the show was George McIntyre.
• The multiple hero Ace Rimmer's remains form a ring of coffins and deactivated hologram transmitters around a planet in the 'Red Dwarf universe.
• Dizzy Flores, a character from Paul Verhoeven's Starship Troopers, is buried in space with full military honors after dying from a bug attack.
• A military space funeral parlor is depicted in Enemy Mine in which human remains from Human-Drac wars are routinely and irreverently disposed of.
• In Halo: The Fall of Reach, the Spartans that did not survive the genetic enhancement procedures are launched into space.
• Captain Paolo Cassius, the original White Base captain in Mobile Suit Gundam (his burial is shown in the TV series but not the movie compilations.)
• A very realistic space burial scene is depicted in the 1955 film Conquest of Space after a crewmember is killed by a meteor fragment.
• Alexei Stukov, a character from StarCraft: Brood War, is buried in space in a coffin.
• Maxwell Plein, father of The Bicykid (Marvus Plein) is buried on the moon, from the Bicykids comic series.

Burial in space is also part of the plot of the movie version of The Loved One. Space Cowboys is a 2000 film by Clint Eastwood, released by Warner Bros. ... Robert Anson Heinlein (July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was one of the most popular, influential, and controversial authors of hard science fiction. ... Requiem is a short story by Robert A. Heinlein, serving as a sequel to his short science fiction novel, The Man Who Sold the Moon. ... Robert Louis Stevenson Robert Louis (Balfour) Stevenson (November 13, 1850–December 3, 1894), was a Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer, and a leading representative of Neo-romanticism in English literature. ... Spock, commonly called Mr. ... The current Star Trek franchise logo Star Trek is an American science fiction franchise. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Captain Future is a fictional character, the creation of science fiction writer Edmond Hamilton. ... Edmond Hamilton (November 21, 1904 - February 1, 1977) began writing science fiction with the story The Monster God of Mamurth in 1928. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Perry Rhodan is the worlds most prolific literary science fiction (SF) series, published since 1961 in Germany. ... Perry Rhodan is the worlds most prolific literary science fiction (SF) series, published since 1961 in Germany. ... Frank Poole vs. ... Astronaut Bruce McCandless on an untethered EVA Extra-vehicular activity (EVA) is work done by an astronaut away from the Earth and outside of his or her spacecraft. ... 3001: The Final Odyssey (1997) is a science fiction novel by Arthur C. Clarke, fourth and final book in the Space Odyssey series. ... Keir Dullea as David Bowman. ... HAL 9000 (Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer) is a fictional computer/character in the Space Odyssey series, the first being the novel and film 2001 A Space Odyssey, written by Arthur C. Clarke in 1968. ... Philip J. Fry is the protagonist of the animated television series Futurama. ... Futurama is an Emmy Award-winning animated sitcom created by Matt Groening (creator of The Simpsons) and David X. Cohen for the Fox Network, and will resume airing in 2008 on Comedy Central. ... The Sting is episode twelve in season four of Futurama. ... A dream sequence is a technique used in storytelling, particularly in television and film, to set apart a brief interlude from the main story. ... Adjectives: Martian Atmosphere Surface pressure: 0. ... Futurama is an Emmy Award-winning animated sitcom created by Matt Groening (creator of The Simpsons) and David X. Cohen for the Fox Network, and will resume airing in 2008 on Comedy Central. ... The Luck of the Fryrish is the 4th episode in season 3 of Futurama. ... Philip J. Fry Philip J. Fry is the central character of the television series Futurama. ... The starship Voyager (NCC-74656), an Intrepid-class starship. ... Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the solar system, named after the Roman god of war (the counterpart of the Greek Ares), on account of its blood red color as viewed in the night sky. ... October 19 is the 292nd day of the year (293rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2032 (MMXXXII) will be a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar January 20 - 100th Anniversary of the swearing-in of Franklin D. Roosevelt January 27 - The 200th year anniversary of writer Lewis Carroll Projected return to Earth orbit of object J002E3, the discarded S-IVB third stage... The fictional Intrepid-class starship USS Voyager is the primary setting of the science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager. ... The current Star Trek franchise logo Star Trek is an American science fiction franchise. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Wing Commander game series. ... Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Alien (film) Alien, a 1979 science fiction / horror film directed by Ridley Scott, builds on an original story written by Dan OBannon and Ronald Shusett. ... Babylon 5 is an epic American science fiction television series created, produced, and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. ... Mir (Мир, which can mean both world and peace in Russian) was a Soviet (and later Russian) orbital station. ... This article or section contains a plot summary that is overly long. ... Contact is a science fiction novel written by Carl Sagan and published in 1985. ... Faster-than-light (also superluminal or FTL) communications and travel are staples of the science fiction genre. ... Cryogenics is the study of very low temperatures or the production of the same, and is often confused with cryobiology, the study of the effect of low temperatures on organisms, or the study of cryopreservation. ... This article is about the process of hibernation in biology. ... An artists impression of a planet in orbit around a red dwarf According to the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, a red dwarf star is a small and relatively cool star, of the main sequence, either late K or M spectral type. ... An artists impression of a planet in orbit around a red dwarf According to the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, a red dwarf star is a small and relatively cool star, of the main sequence, either late K or M spectral type. ... This article is about the Dutch director; for the German director, actor, and writer see Paul Verhoeven (Germany). ... Starship Troopers is a 1997 film directed by Paul Verhoeven, written by Edward Neumeier, and starring Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer and Denise Richards. ... Enemy Mine is a science fiction story by Barry B. Longyear. ... Spoiler warning: Halo: The Fall of Reach is a 2001 novel based on the video game Halo: Combat Evolved (2001). ... 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Space disasters

The list of space disasters shows that four cosmonauts and 15 astronauts have perished in flight as of 2006. Test pilot Stuart Present ejects safely from the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle. ... U.S. Space Shuttle astronaut Bruce McCandless II using a manned maneuvering unit. ... For other uses, see Astronaut (disambiguation). ... 2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

• Soviet Air Force Colonel Vladimir Mikhailovich Komarov crash-landed following a parachute failure aboard his Soyuz 1 spacecraft on April 24, 1967.
• U.S. Air Force test pilot Major Michael J. Adams was killed November 15, 1967 when his X-15-3 research aircraft began to spin on re-entry and descent and disintegrated near Randsburg, California. Maj. Adams was posthumously awarded astronaut wings for his last flight in the X-15-3, which had attained an altitude of 266,000 feet (81.1 km).
• The three crew members of Soyuz 11, Georgi Dobrovolski, Viktor Patsayev and Vladislav Volkov, were discovered dead after a successful landing following a nearly 24-day mission in earth orbit aboard the Salyut 1 space station. The cosmonaut's death were attributed to asphyxia, caused by a rapid decompression mishap during re-entry on June 30, 1971.
• The seven bodies of Greg Jarvis, Christa McAuliffe, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Michael J. Smith, and Dick Scobee were recovered in the mostly intact cockpit after the destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger of January 28, 1986.
• The seven-member crew of Rick D. Husband, William McCool, Michael P. Anderson, David M. Brown, Kalpana Chawla, Laurel B. Clark, and Ilan Ramon were killed in the re-entry disintegration of the Space Shuttle Columbia on February 1, 2003.

Thus no remains of these victims are or have been in space. The Soviet Air Force, also known under the abbreviation VVS, transliterated from Russian: ВВС, Военно-воздушные силы (Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily), formed the official designation of the air force of the Soviet Union. ... Colonel (IPA: or ) is a military rank of a commissioned officer, with the corresponding ranks existing in nearly every country in the world. ... Vladimir Komarov Vladimir Mikhailovich Komarov (Russian: Владимир Михайлович Комаров; March 16, 1927 – April 24, 1967) was a Soviet cosmonaut. ... The Apollo 15 capsule landed safely despite a parachute failure. ... Soyuz 1 (Russian Союз 1, Union 1) was part of the Soviet Unions space program and was launched into orbit on April 23, 1967, carrying a single cosmonaut, Colonel Vladimir Mikhailovich Komarov, who was killed when the spacecraft crashed after its return to Earth. ... The Space Shuttle Discovery as seen from the International Space Station. ... April 24 is the 114th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (115th in leap years). ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... Seal of the Air Force. ... Test pilots are aviators who fly new and modified aircraft in specific maneuvers, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated. ... Major is a military rank the use of which varies according to country. ... Michael J. Adams with X-15 #1 (NASA) Michael J. Adams (born in Sacramento, California on 5 May 1930, died 15 November 1967) was an American aviator and NASA astronaut. ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... Description Role: Research Aircraft Crew: one, pilot Dimensions Length: 50. ... Randsburg is a census-designated place located in Kern County, California. ... An Astronaut Badge is a United States, awarded to military aviation pilots who have completed Astronaut training with NASA and performed a successful space flight. ... Soyuz 11 was the second attempted and the first successful visit to the worlds first space station, Salyut 1. ... Georgi Dobrovolski Georgi Timofeyevich Dobrovolski (Russian: Георгий Тимофеевич Добровольский; June 1, 1928 – June 30, 1971) was a Soviet cosmonaut. ... Viktor Patsayev Viktor Ivanovich Patsayev (Russian: Виктор Иванович Пацаев; June 19, 1933, Aktuybinsk – June 30, 1971) was a Soviet cosmonaut who flew on the Soyuz 11 mission and had the unfortunate distinction of being part of the second crew to die during a space flight. ... Vladislav Nikolayevich Volkov (Russian: Владислав Николаевич Волков; born November 23, 1935, Moscow – June 30, 1971) was a Soviet cosmonaut who flew on the Soyuz 7 and Soyuz 11 missions. ... Salyut 1 (DOS 1) was the first Salyut space station, and the first human-made space station of any kind. ... The International Space Station in 2006 Computer-generated image of the completed International Space Station A space station is an artificial structure designed for humans to live in outer space. ... U.S. Space Shuttle astronaut Bruce McCandless II using a manned maneuvering unit. ... Suffocation redirects here, for the band, see Suffocation (band). ... June 30 is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 184 days remaining. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday. ... Gregory Jarvis Gregory Bruce Jarvis (August 24, 1944 - January 28 - 1986) was an American astronaut who died during the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-51-L, where he was serving as payload specialist. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Ronald Erwin McNair, Ph. ... Ellison Shoji Onizuka (June 24, 1946 - January 28, 1986) was an American astronaut from Kealakekua, Kona, Hawaii who died during the destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger, where he was serving as mission specialist on mission STS-51-L. // Early life Ellison Onizuka was the oldest son and second... Judith Resnik Judith Arlene Resnik (April 5, 1949 – January 28, 1986) was an astronaut who died at the age of 36 in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster during the launch of the mission STS-51-L. Born in Akron, Ohio, Dr. Resnik received a B.S. in electrical engineering from... Michael John Smith (April 30, 1945 – January 28, 1986) was an American astronaut, pilot of the Space Shuttle Challenger when it was destroyed during the STS-51-L mission. ... Francis Richard Dick Scobee (May 19, 1939 - January 28, 1986) was an American astronaut who died commanding the Space Shuttle Challenger, which suffered catastrophic booster failure during launch of the STS-51-L mission. ... For further information about Challengers mission and crew, see STS-51-L. The iconic image of Space Shuttle Challengers smoke plume after its breakup 73 seconds after launch. ... January 28 is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Rick D. Husband (larger image) Richard Douglas Husband (July 12, 1957 – February 1, 2003) was an astronaut and the space shuttle commander of STS-107 (Columbia) who was killed when the craft disintegrated after reentry into the Earths atmosphere. ... William C. Willie McCool (September 23, 1961 - February 1, 2003) was an United States Navy Commander, NASA astronaut and the Space Shuttle pilot of Columbia mission STS-107 who was killed when the craft disentegrated after re-entry into the Earths atmosphere. ... Michael P. Anderson Michael Phillip Anderson (December 25, 1959 – February 1, 2003) was a Lieutenant Colonel (USAF), a NASA astronaut and the Space Shuttle payload commander of STS-107 (Columbia) who was killed when the craft disintegrated after reentry into the Earths atmosphere. ... David M. Brown David M. Brown (April 16, 1956 – February 1, 2003) was a United States Naval Captain, NASA astronaut and space shuttle mission specialist. ... Kalpana Chawla (Hindi: कल्‍पना चावला) (July 1, 1961 – 1 February 2003), was an Indian-born American astronaut and space shuttle mission specialist. ... Laurel Blair Salton Clark (March 10, 1961 – February 1, 2003) was a medical doctor, United States Navy Captain, NASA astronaut and Space Shuttle mission specialist of STS-107 (Columbia) who was killed when the shuttle disintegrated after re-entry into the Earths atmosphere. ... Ilan Ramon (Hebrew: אילן רמון) (June 20, 1954 – February 1, 2003) was a combat pilot in the Israeli Air Force and later the first Israeli astronaut. ... The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occurred on February 1, 2003, when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas during re-entry into the Earths atmosphere, shortly before concluding its 28th mission, STS-107. ... February 1 is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Animal remains in space

A number of animals have died in space; see Animals in space. Not clear is whether there are still animal remains in space. Though there have been requests, no pets have yet been buried in space. Squirrel monkey Baker rode a Jupiter missile (modeled above) into space in 1959 Animals in space originally served to test the survivability of spaceflight before manned space missions were attempted. ...

External links

• Space Services, Inc.
• SpaceX space exploration technologies
• Space Service's Memorial Spaceflights
• L.F.C. Spacecylinder systems
• The Ultimate One-Way Ticket, Wired Magazine February 21 2006
• Death Is a Long, Strange Trip, Wired Magazine November 7 2006