Aura Flights: The Sheffield company launching people's ashes into space for an out-of-this world send-off

Aura Flights, which is based off the busy Sheffield Parkway, not far from Darnall, has launched hundreds of people’s ashes into space since the business was formed in 2017.

The ashes are lifted some 33.5km above Earth, to a region known as Near Space, by a huge balloon filled with hydrogen gas. Once there, they are released in a gentle cascade, floating for up to six months before eventually falling to Earth in the form of raindrops or snowflakes.

The whole flight – which takes around two-and-a-half-hours – is recorded by two onboard cameras to create a memorial video like no other of their spectacular final journey for their loved ones.

It’s very different to scattering the ashes of your dearly beloved in a park where you spent your happiest moments or at one of your favourite walking spots, but it means there will always be a part of them wherever you are and you can think of them whenever you gaze up at space.

Sheffield motorway crash victim among those whose ashes have been launched into space

Among those whose ashes have recently been scattered many miles above our planet is Jason Mercer, who died after being hit by a lorry on the M1 near Meadowhall in 2019 and whose widow Claire has since led the campaign against smart motorways on which there is no hard shoulder.

She told ahead of his final journey how as an avid stargazer he would have loved the idea of being sent into space, while moving testimonials from others who have used the service describe how their loved ones are now ‘playing among the stars'.

Originally launched as Ascension Flights, the service famously appeared on BBC show Dragons' Den, where its founders received an offer from Deborah Meaden, which they rejected. The Star visited the firm – an offshoot of Sent Into Space, which has sent all manner of objects soaring beyond the Earth’s atmosphere, often as a promotional gimmick – to learn more about how it operates.

Sent Into Space was founded in 2011 by Chris Rose and Alex Baker, two engineering PhDs from the University of Sheffield, after their high altitude balloon launch to take a picture of the Earth went viral and they were inundated with requests from schools and businesses looking for their own launch. The idea for launching ashes into space came about in the company’s early days but sensitivities around handling people’s ashes meant work to develop the technology didn't begin until 2015 and it took two years of refinement before the service was ready for take-off.

Sheffield firm appeared on Dragons’ Den and rejected an offer from Deborah Meaden

Alex Keen, Aura Flights’ head of communications, said: “The biggest challenge for Aura Flights in its first two years was raising awareness that the service existed.

“The funeral industry is relatively conservative and while there is growing interest in more personalised memorials which depart from the traditional funeral service, most people simply don’t consider the possibility that they could scatter their loved ones’ ashes into space.

“However, six years later, we are featured in over 1,200 funeral homes across the UK, we launch a memorial flight every week on average and we’ll be launching our first flights in the USA this May.”

Alex explained how the ashes are carried in an ‘intelligent scatter vessel’, which keeps them secure and insulated throughout the flight before they are released in a controlled cascade once the onboard computer detects it has reached the right altitude.

“Planning the flights requires complex weather simulations and coordination with the Civil Aviation Authority and Air Traffic Control centres around our launch sites to ensure the flight path is safe,” he said.

“Using meteorological data from around the world, we can calculate the paths our flights will take to within 100 metres, allowing us to target rural landing locations which minimise the potential for disruption.”

How much does it cost to have your loved one’s ashes or your own ashes sent into space?

Sent Into Space today employs 20 people, five of whom are dedicated full-time to Aura Flights. It costs £2,950 to have your loved one’s ashes scattered, or £4,600 for a couple, which, while not cheap, Alex explains is still less than the average funeral service.

People wishing to have their own ashes scattered after they die can register with the firm for just £75 to secure their place on the 'flight roster’. Aura Flights will then provide everything you need to ensure your plans are recorded in your will and your friends and family know what to do when the time comes.

Those wishing to fulfil their loved one’s wish of being sent into space, while keeping their ashes close, can opt for the ‘Voyager’ service, which allows them to send a ceremonial portion of ashes on a flight alongside up to 10 other passengers for £495.