Canine Cremains Can Soon Be Sent into Outer Space

Does your dog love to howl at the moon at night? After he crosses the Rainbow Bridge, you’ll be able to send him there, thanks to the brand-new Celestis Pets.

Houston-based Celestis, Inc., which since 1995 has sent cremated human remains on trips to outer space and back (including those of “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry), announced this week that its new Celestis Pets spinoff, launching this fall, will provide the same service for dearly departed dogs and cats.

While the “Luna” trip to the moon will cost at least $12,500, more affordable round-trips into orbit will be available for $995 and up. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the non-profit Rescued Pets Movement.

“Our pet service flights are an idea that’s been a long time coming,” Celestis CEO Charles Chafer said in a press release. “Over the years we’ve received so many requests to include pets in our memorial spaceflights and we’re very excited to extend this tribute to our animal companions.”

One gram of your dog’s cremated remains, or a lock of his hair, will be sent into space in an individual capsule on a commercial launch vehicle. “All of our pet pioneers will fly with science experiments and spacecraft that advance human knowledge and protect the planet and its living creatures,” according to Celestis Pets.

Afterward, you’ll receive a certificate verifying that your dog completed the spaceflight.

The first departed dog departing on the inaugural flight this fall will be Apollo (seriously, that was his name), a blue merle Australian shepherd.

“Apollo was a remarkably intelligent dog who constantly demonstrated leadership and was almost the equivalent of an Olympic athlete,” his dog dad, Michael Potter of Los Angeles, said in the press release. “We wanted to do something to remember and honor Apollo, and Celestis Pets is an incredible way to memorialize him.”

For more information on how to one day send your dog to space, the moon or beyond, visit the Celestis Pets website.

Photo credit: Celestis, Inc.