New company offering burials in space

Elysium Space is taking orders to have the remains of the deceased sent up in to Earth's orbit.

A new start-up company called Elysium Space is offering 'space burial' services for as little as $2000 with reservations currently booking for the first flight next year. Due to launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida, the "memorial spaceflight" will carry the ashes of the deceased and give mourners the chance to track its progress with a mobile phone app.

"These are the kind of people who think space is a unique and beautiful place," said founder Thomas Civeit.

Several high profile individuals have had their remains carried in to space over the years including astronaut Gordon Cooper and Star Trek actor James Doohan.

Whether such send-offs will become more commonplace in the future however remains to be seen.