More and more people are choosing unattended cremations (sometimes called direct cremations), and many families decide to have a ceremony afterwards – in a hall or hotel meeting room, or even in their homes or gardens – to remember their loved one in a celebration of life. Often they include a scattering or interment of ashes.
Whether the family has had a traditional attended cremation in a crematorium, or a direct cremation, the question of what to do with the ashes of the person who has died is a key one, and there are many options, from scattering them at a favourite place or into the sea, to having the ashes turned to jewellery as a meaningful keepsake.
One company, Aura Flights, offers a truly unique way to scatter ashes, giving people the choice of an “out-of-this-world” experience by sending a loved one’s ashes into space.
High-altitude balloons carry the ashes into space, where they are then gently scattered, creating a memorial that connects nicely with the humanist belief that this is the one life we have, symbolically and literally returning our atoms into the vastness of the universe.
We Spoke to the team at Aura Flights to find out more about this service and how a humanist ceremony could be incorporated
Can you tell us a bit about what Aura Flights does?
Aura Flights offers a space burial service, scattering their passengers’ ashes in space. Each passenger’s ashes are launched into space on their own personal flight, carried in an intelligent ‘scatter vessel’ which is lifted by a massive hydrogen balloon. After the vessel reaches space, at an altitude of 100,000ft the ashes are released in a gentle cascade.
The spaceflight and scatter are recorded using on board camera systems. A personalised memorial video is created for every passenger featuring footage of their space scattering interspersed with photographs, videos, messages, and a soundtrack provided by the passenger or their loved ones.
What happens when ashes are released in space?
Our passengers’ ashes are released in space after the scatter vessel reaches an altitude of around 100,000ft. After their release, the ashes spend the next three to six months travelling around the planet, gradually spreading out to cover the entire world. Eventually, they return to Earth mixed with rain and snow. As they settle, the trace nutrients from the ashes enrich the soil, fostering new life wherever they land.
Meanwhile, the balloon bursts and the craft begins its descent back to Earth via parachute. Our team tracks the craft to its landing location, which is predicted in advance to target rural locations. Everything is recovered and returned to our HQ, where we start transforming the footage from the cameras into the memorial video for the passenger.
As humanists we’re conscious of protecting the environment. Can you tell us how eco-friendly it is to send a loved one’s ashes into space?
We use biodegradable latex balloons for our flights filled with renewable hydrogen gas, which is naturally lighter than air. Hydrogen is renewable and doesn’t act as a greenhouse gas, meaning there’s no impact on the climate. Likewise, the biodegradable latex is non-toxic and breaks down at about the rate of an oak leaf.
Everything that goes up on the launch returns back to Earth over time, meaning we don’t contribute to space junk. The scatter vessel is recovered and refreshed after every launch, with modular parts ensuring each vessel can remain in operation for up to 100 launches. The ashes scattered in space dissipate across the planet in stratospheric winds and have no noticeable impact when returning as snowflakes and raindrops.
When would be a good time to have a humanist ceremony when scattering the ashes in this way?
Choosing the right time to hold a ceremony to acknowledge the scattering of your loved one’s ashes is a deeply personal decision. We find that many families find comfort in selecting a date that held special significance to the passenger, such as a birthday, anniversary, or meaningful holiday.
We advise families and loved ones to wait until they receive the memorial video and host a viewing, especially if the passenger opted for a direct cremation without an initial service. Watching the video together can make up a memorable part of a memorial ceremony. Though ultimately it’s up to each passenger and their loved ones to hold a ceremony when it feels meaningful and right to them.
Thank you to the team at Aura Flights for sharing this fascinating process with us.
You can find out more about Aura Flights and service that they offer here.
Humanist Ceremonies funeral celebrants are highly trained and accredited to provide meaningful memorials, ash ceremonies, and celebrations of life, whenever and wherever is right for the family. A humanist memorial ceremony focuses on remembering the person who has died, honouring the life they lived and paying tribute to the impact they had on others.
You can find your local humanist funeral celebrants here.
Some considerations to keep in mind if you choose to scatter ashes yourself:
Private Land
If you wish to scatter ashes on private land (e.g. a field or estate), you must get the landowner’s consent.
Public Spaces
- Parks and Gardens: Contact the local council or governing body (e.g., the National Trust) to check their policy.
- Beaches and Coastlines: Generally this is allowed, but check with local councils for restrictions.
Waterways
- Scattering ashes in rivers, lakes, or the sea is allowed, but you should adhere to the Environmental Agency’s guidelines.
Environmental Impact
- Use biodegradable urns if placing the ashes in the water to minimise environmental impact.
- Avoid scattering ashes too near plants or water sources for wildlife
Planning a Celebration of Life? Here are some ideas for planning memorial ceremonies.
