**A Man’s Quest to Send Ashes to Space, and the Startup That’s Following**
I was sitting down with Ryan Mitchell, the founder of Space Beyond, and he couldn’t help but gaze up at the stars. It’s a habit he’s developed over the years, one that’s not just a result of his work on NASA’s space shuttle program or his stint at Blue Origin, but also a reflection of his personal connection to the cosmos. And it was this personal connection that sparked the idea for his company.
It started on a sad note. Mitchell was reflecting on a loved one who passed away, and he was struck by the finality of it all. “We were like, ‘That’s it. It’s over.'” He paused, and then his mind started racing. “How could I do this better?” The seed of an idea was planted, and it took weeks of deliberation for Mitchell to realize that, maybe, just maybe, he could make it happen.
Fast forward to today, and Space Beyond’s “Ashes to Space” program is a reality. For just $249, the company will send a small amount of ashes (up to 1,000 people’s, to be exact) to space on a CubeSat, a tiny satellite the size of a shoebox, which will be launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare mission in October 2027.
The space burial industry isn’t new, but Space Beyond’s approach is. By leveraging the rideshare model, they’re able to offer a service that’s not only more affordable but also more accessible. And it’s all thanks to the democratization of access to space, courtesy of companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin.
Mitchell’s goal is to shake up the funeral industry, which often preys on people at their most vulnerable. “I’m not trying to take over the world, and I’m not trying to make a billion dollars doing this,” he says with a chuckle. He’s not out to make a profit; he’s out to make a difference.
Now, I know what you’re thinking: what about the limitations of the CubeSat? It can only carry a tiny amount of ashes, about 1 gram, which is a limitation that actually works in the startup’s favor. By keeping it small, they can fit multiple clients on board, making it financially viable. And while the satellite will only be in orbit for about 5 years and can’t physically scatter the ashes, the fleeting nature of it is actually a benefit.
Mitchell sees it as a beautiful, poignant ending. The aluminum satellite and the ashes will eventually meet a fiery end as it burns up in the Earth’s atmosphere, a fitting tribute to those who’ve passed.
For Mitchell, Space Beyond is a labor of love. He filled page upon page of a notebook with ideas after leaving Blue Origin last year, but this one kept calling to him. “I tried to talk myself out of it for a long time,” he admits. “But the more I put engineering rigor to it, the more sense it made.”
And he didn’t do it alone. His biggest supporter? His wife. “She said, ‘I could have told you that weeks ago. You can’t stop talking about this,'” he chuckles.
Space Beyond’s mission is to make space burial more accessible and affordable, and it’s clear that Mitchell is driven by a passion to make a difference. Whether or not his startup succeeds, he’s already changed the way people think about saying goodbye to their loved ones.
