West Suffolk Cemetery and Crematorium, in Risby, near Bury St Edmunds, offers ‘space scattering’ of ashes with new service

A Suffolk crematorium is offering the chance for the ashes of loved ones to take one last journey – into space.

As part of the Westerleigh Group, West Suffolk Cemetery and Crematorium, in Risby, near Bury St Edmunds, has joining a partnership with Aura Flights to offer the out of this world service.

The company, which has conducted flights to the stratosphere and back to send ashes in space since 2017, says on its website it has had more than 250 successful space scatterings.

Claire Butcher, West Suffolk Cemetery and Crematorium’s Manager, said: “We are always looking to expand the range of memorial options available to the bereaved in order to give them the widest possible choice and help them to create uniquely personal memorials for their loved ones.

“For centuries, man has looked up at the stars and dreamed of going into space; while few of us ever get to do this during our lifetimes, there is now the option to travel into space for your final journey.”

There are two service offered by the crematorium – the ‘Memorial Launch’ and ‘The Voyager Package’.

The Memorial Launch, priced at £2,950, involves ashes being placed inside a scatter vessel, which is fitted to a space-capable biodegradable balloon filled with renewable hydrogen gas.

The ashes are released in a gentle cascade at around 100,000 feet above the earth and spend the next three-to-six months orbiting the globe until they re-enter the atmosphere.

Where Aura Flights says they then could ‘seed the formation of clouds and fall back to earth as raindrops and snowflakes all over the world’.

The ascent and release of this service are captured on video for the families of the loved one to keep.

The Voyager package, which is £475, involves a ceremonial portion of the ashes travelling to the same height, before returning to Earth and being given back to the families in a miniature urn.

Samantha Richardson, general manager of Aura Flights, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Westerleigh Group to bring Aura Flights to an even bigger audience.

“From the moment we started talking about a collaboration, they saw how special a space scattering can be and their focus is always on supporting the bereaved throughout their journey, which I really admire.

“They have a wealth of experience in the industry, but they're also always looking for how to make things better - just like our team of engineers and explorers.”

To find out more on the services, go to the West Suffolk Cemetery and Crematorium’s website.