REAL LIFE NEWS: DEAD PETS... IN... SPAAAAAAACE!
by Hazed
If you’re pondering what to do with the remains of a beloved pet who has died, you now have another option to consider – you can shoot them towards the stars.
A company that has been launching human remains into space is now planning to do the same thing for pets. Celestis, a “memorial spaceflight” firm which is based in Houston, Texas, has set up an offshoot called Celestis Pets. Its inaugural flight will send the remains of Apollo, a suitably-named Australian shepherd owned by a Los Angeles family, into orbit in October.
“Apollo was a remarkably intelligent dog who constantly demonstrated leadership...” the dog’s owner says in a press release. “We wanted to do something to remember and honour him.”
The service costs around $1,000, with more expensive options launching the remains on a trajectory that will see it re-enter the atmosphere to burn up “like a shooting star” or even be sent to the moon.