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Woman’s ashes to be shot into space for her ‘last adventure’

DID YOU KNOW AFTER A PERSON DIES, THEY CAN HAVE A PORTION OF THEIR CREMATED ASHES SENT INTO SPACE? THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT’S HAPPENING THIS WEEK FOR ONE SACRAMENTO WOMAN. KCRA 3’S ERIN HEFT INTRODUCES US A SOUL, WHO WILL SOON BE AMONG THE STARS. ERIN: FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, PEOPLE HAVE GAZED INTO THE SKY, AND WONDERED WHAT LAYS IN THE HEAVENS, WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE AMONG THE STARS AND FOR A SELECT FEW, THE ANSWER IS US. >> WE TURN OVER THE CAPSULES TO THEM, THE ROCKET SCIENTISTS INTEGRATE, AND THEN WE FLY >> THAT’S COLBY YOUNGBLOOD, PRESIDENT OF CELESTIS, A COMPANY THAT SENDS CREMATED ASHES OF LOVED ONES, AND EVEN DNA OF THE LIVING, INTO SPACE. >> IT’S JUST OVERWHELMINGLY SATISFYING FOR THE FAMILIES, THEY GET TO SEE THEIR LOVED ONE TAKE OFF ON THIS ROCKET AND IT PROVIDES A KIND OF CLOSURE THAT, I DON’T WANT TO SAY THEY MAY NOT GET IN ANY OTHER WAY, BUT THAT KIND OF CLOSURE IS VERY POWERFUL FOR THE FAMILIES >> YOU SEE, THE COMPANY TAKES ABOUT A GRAM OF ASHES, CAPSULIZES IT, AND THAT GETS ATTACHED AS A SECONDARY PAYLOAD ON A ROCKET. THEY’VE SHOT ABOUT 1700 PEOPLE OUT OF THIS WORLD, AND ONE SACRAMENTO WOMAN, IS UP NEXT. >> HOW WOULD YOU EVEN BEGIN TO DESCRIBE YOUR SISTER? >> VERY OUTGOING, IF SHE ASKED YOU, DO YOU WANT TO GO HERE? AND YOU’RE SAYING HOLD ON SHE WOULD SAY I GOT TO GO LET’S GO >> HER SISTER WAS SY VANG, A SENIOR PARALEGAL, TURNED ADVENTURE LOVER. AFTER RAISING HER SON, VANG, DECIDED TO TRAVEL THE WORLD EXPERIENCING EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING. THIS IS SY TREKKING TO EVEREST’S BASE CAMP. AND THIS ONE OF HER TRAVELS TO PETRA JORDAN, AND EGYPT, INDIA, LONDON. SHE TRAVELED TO OVER 30 COUNTRIES, AND SHE WASN’T JUST A VISITOR, SHE GAVE BACK, WORKING WITH REFUGEES AND TEACHING CHILDREN. WELL, THIS WEEK HER SISTER IS GIVING SY, ONE LAST ADVENTURE. >> WHAT ARE YOU PERSONALLY MOST EXCITED ABOUT SENDING YOUR SISTER TO SPACE? >> IT’S JUST A POINT OF ALLOWING HER TO, GIVING HER THAT OPPORTUNITY AND A WAY TO HONOR HER >> SY WILL BE ON A ROCKET OUT OF SPACEPORT AMERICA. THE AURORA FLIGHT, EARTHRISE. SHOT INTO THE SKY, TO EXPERIENCE SUBORBITAL MICRO GRAVITY, OR MORE EASILY SAID ‘ ’WEIGHTLESSNESS’ COMING BACK TO EARTH BY WAY OF A PARACHUTE. A KEEPSAKE, FOR THOSE OF US STILL ON EARTH, TO CHERISH FOR A LIFETIME. IN SACRAMENTO, ERIN HEFT, KCRA3 NEWS. >> YOU LEARNED SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY. THIS IS INCREDIBLE. CELESTIS OFFERS FOUR DIFFERET SPACEFLIGHTS, FOR CREMATED ASHES. EARTH RISE, WHICH IS A LAUNCH TO SPACE THAT COMES BACK TO EARTH. THERE IS EARTH ORBIT, WHICH CIRCLES EARTH. LUNA, WHICH LAUNCHES INTO LUNAR ORBIT OR THE MOON’S SURFACE. AND VOYAGER, WHICH LAUNCHES ASHES INTO DEEP SPAC

Woman’s ashes to be shot into space for her ‘last adventure’

For thousands of years, people have gazed into the sky and wondered “What lies beyond the heavens? What could possibly be among the stars?” And for a select few, the answer is “My ashes.”A company called Celestis sends cremated remains of loved ones, and DNA of the living, into space.The company takes between one and seven grams of human ashes, places them inside a capsule and has them attached as a secondary payload on a rocket.The team at Celestis said they’ve worked in tandem with SpaceX, Spaceport American and others to shoot over 1,700 people into space since their first launch in 1997.“It’s just overwhelmingly satisfying for the families, they get to see their loved one takeoff on this rocket and it provides a kind of closure,” said the president of Celestis, Colby Youngblood.This week, a California woman, Sy Vang, will join the elite group of people to grace outer space after death. Watch the video above for the full story.

For thousands of years, people have gazed into the sky and wondered “What lies beyond the heavens? What could possibly be among the stars?” And for a select few, the answer is “My ashes.”

A company called Celestis sends cremated remains of loved ones, and DNA of the living, into space.

The company takes between one and seven grams of human ashes, places them inside a capsule and has them attached as a secondary payload on a rocket.

The team at Celestis said they’ve worked in tandem with SpaceX, Spaceport American and others to shoot over 1,700 people into space since their first launch in 1997.

“It’s just overwhelmingly satisfying for the families, they get to see their loved one takeoff on this rocket and it provides a kind of closure,” said the president of Celestis, Colby Youngblood.

This week, a California woman, Sy Vang, will join the elite group of people to grace outer space after death.

Watch the video above for the full story.