Space Burials: Commemorating Departed Loved Ones Amongst the Stars

A start-up based in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, has recently introduced a unique funeral service known as space burial. Space NTK Co., the company behind this venture, successfully launched the cremated remains of ten individuals and their pets into space in early April, utilizing a rocket provided by the renowned U.S. space company SpaceX.

One individual who availed himself of this service is Teruaki Nagakura, a 54-year-old company employee from Nabari, Mie Prefecture. Nagakura's 7-year-old daughter had tragically passed away from a brain tumor in 2009, and in order to fulfill her dream of soaring through the sky, he entrusted a portion of her ashes, which he had been keeping at home, to Space NTK.

 

To ensure the safe transport of the remains, they were securely stored in a specialized container, which was then placed inside a metal box. This box was subsequently loaded into the upper section of the rocket, which took off from Florida on April 1. Once in space, the upper part detached from the main body of the rocket. According to Space NTK, this detached section, containing the metal box, will orbit at an altitude of approximately 500 to 600 kilometers for several years before ultimately burning up upon reentering the Earth's atmosphere.

In addition to his daughter's ashes, Nagakura also included some of his own hair, as well as strands from his wife and one of his daughter's grandmothers, within the box. His sentiment was clear: "We can have a family trip in space."

 

Space NTK's President, Tomoko Kasai, originally operated a company that offered more traditional funeral services. Inspired by a childhood memory of her mother telling her that the deceased become stars who watch over the people on Earth, Kasai established the space burial business in 2017. Through various means, including attending international conferences to establish connections and seeking assistance from acquaintances, she successfully secured a contract with SpaceX in the autumn of 2020, enabling her company to utilize their rockets.

 

Similar space funeral services have been offered by companies in the United States and other countries as well.

 

Kasai personally witnessed the rocket's launch in Florida and expressed her deep emotions, stating, "I was profoundly moved to witness the beginning of Japan's space funeral service. There is no better way to commemorate the deceased than to gaze at the night sky and remember them as they shine like stars."

The cost of a space burial through Space NTK is ¥550,000 ($3962.70), tax included, for a partial burial involving up to 50 grams of remains. The company plans to conduct its next space burial launch in January of next year.

 

"Our goal is to establish space burial as a new option for natural burial," Kasai remarked, highlighting her aspirations for the future of this unique funeral service.

 

As Space NTK paves the way for an extraordinary and celestial farewell, one can't help but wonder: Will space burials become a common practice, allowing us to bid our final goodbyes amidst the boundless expanse of the universe? With each launch, the heavens open their arms to embrace the departed, transforming them into ethereal guides illuminating our nights. So, dear reader, as you contemplate the mysteries of life and the infinite possibilities of the cosmos, ask yourself: Could space be the ultimate resting place, where memories transcend gravity and loved ones become eternal stars?