"Fly Me To The Moon...."

If you have a spare $10,000 and want to make your last trip a really long one, here is an idea you might consider. From a story on Space.com,

The general public may soon have the chance to rest in peace on the moon, at least briefly. Houston-based Celestis, Inc. has announced plans to launch cremated human remains to the surface of the moon as soon as 2009.

A small portion — 1 gram — of the encapsulated cremated remains of one person can be sent to the moon for $9,995. The price includes the option of watching the launch, an inscription of the deceased's name on an accompanying plaque, and complimentary scattering of the remainder of the remains at sea near the launch site.

"We are pleased to schedule these Luna Service missions, to extend our leadership in the commercial space industry, and — most importantly — to serve our global community of families and loved ones wishing to honor the life of a special person," said Charles M. Chafer, Celestis founder and president."

In their news release on their web site, they orginally said the service would be available in 2009...but it seems now they are saying

“Celestis announces our agreement with Odyssey Moon Limited and Astrobotic Technology, Inc. to launch payloads containing human cremated remains to the surface of the Moon as soon as 2010."

I guess their customers are not actually in a rush, unless they are waiting on ice. Or unless they hoped to do a tie-in with the new Star Trek movie release. Afterall, this is the same company that launched

“24 flight capsules into Earth orbit aboard a Pegasus rocket. Celestis has conducted six memorial spaceflights serving people from 14 nations, including Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry,,,and beloved Star Trek actor James Doohan (“Scotty”)."

Maybe they should have held out for the Moon landing.