If you're looking for an 'out of this world' way to say goodbye to a loved one, then a Bristol crematorium might just have the answer. Westerleigh Crematorium Group has partnered with Aura Flights to offer the chance to send the ashes on a journey to 'space'.
The new ‘memorial launch’ - yours for £3,000 - involves ashes being placed in a ‘scatter vessel’ which is fitted to a space-capable biodegradable balloon filled with renewable hydrogen gas.
According to Westerleigh, the vessel is taken up to around 100,000ft where the ashes are released in a 'gentle cascade'. The firm says the ashes will spend 'the next three to six months orbiting the globe until they re-enter the atmosphere, where they seed the formation of clouds and fall back to earth as raindrops and snowflakes all over the world'.
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The ascent and release are captured on video for the families. Shaun Chapman-Young, of Westerleigh Cemetery, said: “For centuries, man has looked up to the stars and dreamed of going into space, while few of us ever get to do this during our lifetimes, there is now the option to travel into space for your final journey.
He added: “Aura Flights offer something that is truly out of this world.” While the ‘Memorial Launch’ as a full ashes-into-space service, costs £2,950, there is also a second option ‘The Voyager’.
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This costs £495 and sees a portion of the loved one’s ashes being taken up to 100,000ft. They are brought back down again and given to the family in a miniature urn.
Samantha Richardson, general manager at Aura Flights said they were delighted to be partnering with Westerleigh. She said: “From the moment we started talking about a collaboration, they saw how special a space scattering can be and their focus is always on supporting the bereaved throughout their journey which I really admire.”
The Westerleigh Group has 37 cemetery and crematoria sites across England, Scotland and Wales, including Bristol. They said that the new memorial was for anyone who has a loved one’s ashes and was not limited to recent funerals.
