LAS CRUCES, NM - Space Services, Inc. (SSI) of Houston, TX, announced today that the Celestis Legacy Flight, Earth Return Service is scheduled to launch on April 28th from Spaceport America in New Mexico. The Celestis Legacy Flight, Earth Return Service will occur aboard the new Spaceloft XL launch vehicle developed by UP Aerospace of Highlands Ranch, Colorado. This new launch vehicle is a single stage sub-orbital rocket, capable of carrying 110 pounds into space, 70 miles above the surface of the earth.

The SSI team made history over 20 years ago with the launch of Conestoga 1, the first private rocket, opening the space arena to private enterprise. Now SSI is about to make history again with its inaugural Celestis Earth Return spaceflight. In fact, the founders of SSI pioneered post cremation memorial spaceflights with the launch of a symbolic portion of the cremated remains of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and 60’s pop icon Timothy Leary into space in 1997. Working with NASA, they also placed Dr. Eugene Shoemaker’s cremated remains on the lunar surface, symbolically making Dr. Shoemaker the first person to be buried on the Moon. “Space remains the domain of the few, the dream of many,” said Charles Chafer, CEO of SSI. “With SSI, the dream of spaceflight, and the desire to take part in the opening of the space frontier, can be realized – and is available to everyone. Further, the dramatic breakthrough in the cost to reach space presented by the Spaceloft XL launch vehicle has allowed SSI to offer the lowest-priced memorial spaceflight ever.”

The “Celestis Legacy Flight” will bring those dreams of spaceflight into reality as the capsules containing the cremated remains of the participants from Countries around the world are launched into space. SSI is offering its space funeral service to people in the US, Japan, Germany, Canada, France, Russia, The Netherlands, etc., etc.. Funeral homes locally and internationally are offering these services to the general public.

“UP Aerospace is honored to have been chosen by Space Services to provide the launch of their new Celestis Legacy Flight Earth Return Service.”, said Jerry Larson, President of UP Aerospace, Inc. “Our long term commitments with Spaceport America and Space Services are essential elements that are enabling huge growth of this new emerging commercialization of space industry.” Larson continued “The launch of the Celestis Legacy Flight into space will set another milestone in space travel for New Mexico and establish this mission as perhaps one of the most memorable events ever flown from the Spaceport.”

“We’re all breaking new ground,” said Rick Homans, Chairman of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority. “We’re in this for the long term, developing new businesses and new technologies. I look forward to a long and rewarding relationship at Spaceport America.”