Launch your loved one’s remains into orbit for only $2,500

Believe it or not, you'll soon be able to send the remains of a loved one into space for the low price of $2,500. Elysium Space, the self-described "memorial spaceflight" company, has just announced a partnership with SpaceX to launch annual flights where you can send your family into space in lieu of a traditional funeral or burial service. So far, more than 100 people have booked a spot on the Elysium Star II mission, which will consist of an unmanned SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket (pictured above) launching from the Vandenberg Air Force base in southern California.

After the rocket launches, it'll travel around the Earth in a "Sun-synchronous orbit" that will ensure the rocket passes "over every location in the world." Following the two-year journey, the rocket will re-enter Earth's orbit and burn up on re-entry. People who participate in this program will be able to follow the ship's exact location via an iOS / Android app. All this comes at the starting price of $2,490, which is not all that unreasonable given how much a typical funeral can cost.

However, there's no word on when this first launch will actually happen. The upside there is that there's still plenty of time for you to book a spot on this unusual memorial flight.