Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Burial in Space

In Monday's issue of Space.com, I read an article about having one's ashes taken into space. http://www.space.com/23433-elysium-space-burial-human-ashes.html?cmpid=555127

I knew Gene Roddenberry and his wife (actress Majel Barrett) had their ashes flown into space. So did Scotty (actor James Doohan) and astronaut Gordon Cooper. Until I read the article I didn't know how they did it. The article explains what's involved. It costs just less than $2,000 for a small--very small--portion of one's ashes to make the trip. 

So it got me wondering...would I do it?

I've been fascinated by space travel ever since Alan Shepard's historical flight. I knew all the names of the first astronauts. I watched every televised space shot. I still have posters from NASA on the first flights. I read science fiction and science fiction romance and, as you probably know, I write sci-fi romance. To say I'm enamored by space travel is an understatement.

By the time passenger service into space becomes a reality, I probably will be too old to go or, more likely, won't be available to afford it. But now there's a way I could finally go into space. Okay, my ashes would. Would I even know? I do believe in an afterlife so I figure if I did somehow manage to convince my family that I wanted to be buried that way, I could look down and "see" my final trip into the vast beyond.

Would I do it? I'd definitely consider it. How about you?

5 comments:

KatB said...

I think that the only way you could get me into space would be to incinerate me first. But I'll bet my husband would do it! Great blog post. :)

Diane Burton said...

LOL, Kristen. Thanks.

Alyssa Alexander said...

Of all the places my ashes could be sent, space was never one I thought of! Maybe I'll add that to my afterlife bucket list. :)

Melissa Keir said...

I'm not sure I want to spend the money. I'm more interested in just running the car off the edge of the Grand Canyon like Thelma and Louise!

Diane Burton said...

Hey, Alyssa. An afterlife bucket list? LOL Yay for Thelma & Louise, Melissa.