At Dignity Memorial® we strive each and every day to take personalized funeral services to the next level to honor and preserve the story of one’s life. We take pride in helping families create unique, meaningful memorials to celebrate the life of their loved one.
 
One of our newest and most unforgettable memorialization options is to launch cremated remains into space. We’ve partnered with Celestis Memorial Spaceflight Inc., the pioneer and iconic global leader in providing memorial spaceflights to help commemorate the lives of departed loved ones.
 
Since 1997 the experienced team at Celestis has been launching successful missions, trusted by families of notable pioneers like Gene Roddenberry, screenwriter and producer of the Star Trek series, along with one of the series' favorites, actor James "Scotty" Doohan; NASA scientist Dr. Eugene Shoemaker; and L. Gordon “Gordo” Cooper (Col., USAF), one of the seven original Mercury astronauts.
 
The options through Celestis include:
 
Earth Rise Spaceflight, carrying a personalized flight capsule with a symbolic portion of cremated remains or DNA to outer space, returning them as Flown Keepsakes to family members and loved ones suitable for display. A professional video of all of the mission events is provided to commemorate the day the Celestis spacecraft touched the sky, honoring and returning those on board.
 
Earth Orbit Spaceflight, placing a personalized flight capsule carrying a symbolic portion of cremated remains or DNA sample into orbit where it remains for years or decades until it re-enters the atmosphere, harmlessly vaporizing like a shooting star in final tribute. As your loved one crosses the sky, his or her orbital spacecraft transmits a precise location in space to friends and loved ones below.
 
Luna Spaceflight, which actually places a personalized flight capsule carrying cremated remains or DNA on the surface of our nearest neighbor, the Moon, creating a permanent lunar memorial for adventurous souls. Celestis Luna missions also permit – for the first time in human history – off Earth storage for DNA and digital data archives.
 
Voyager Spaceflight, a true mission of exploration, sending a personalized flight capsule carrying cremated remains or DNA on a permanent celestial journey, well beyond the moon. This final voyage in space, permanently traversing the cosmos offers the most appropriate memorial for a life devoted to exploration and adventure.
 
It’s never too early to plan ahead for memorialization to ensure that you and your loved ones will be able to establish a truly memorable to place to celebrate a remarkable life. For more information please call (910) 799-1686.

Michael Higgins is Sales Manager for Dignity Memorial®, which cares for more than 300,000 families each year through its network of more than 2,000 providers throughout North America. Learn more at www.dignitymemorial.com or call Greenlawn Memorial Park, Oleander Memorial Gardens and Coble-Ward Smith Funeral & Cremation Service, (910) 799-1686.