Latest news with #spacecapsule
Times of Oman
07-07-2025
- Science
- Times of Oman
German space capsule lost carrying ashes of 166 people
Bavaria: Bavaria-based startup The Exploration Company (TEC) says it is investigating the loss of a space capsule that was carrying the ashes of 166 people back to their families. The "Nyx Mission Possible" craft had been due to return the ashes to Earth — and the bereaved — after orbiting the planet twice in late June. However, an anomaly occurred and the capsule was lost during its planned re-entry. What did TEC say about the missing capsule? In a statement posted on professional networking site LinkedIn, TEC said it had re-established communication with the capsule upon reentry — after a standard blackout because of the heat — before losing it again. "From an orbital altitude of 550 kilometers [about 340 miles], the capsule re-entered successfully in a controlled manner, with communication established post maximum heat. Communications were, however, lost at 26 km altitude, just before the transonic phase preceding the opening of the parachutes." "To better understand the outcomes, we have established an independent investigation team. Their findings will be shared with our clients, investors, and internal teams." In an earlier statement, TEC apologised "to all our clients who entrusted us with their payloads." What more do we know about the flight? Charles Chafer, co-founder and CEO of the Texas-based "memorial spaceflight" company Celestis, who hired TEC, said it was the first time that such a reentry had been attempted. "As a result of this unforeseen event, we believe that we will not be able to recover or return the flight capsules aboard. We share in the disappointment of our families, and we offer our sincerest gratitude for their trust." "Though we currently believe that we cannot return the flight capsules, we hope families will find some peace in knowing their loved ones were part of a historic journey, launched into space, orbited Earth, and are now resting in the vastness of the Pacific, akin to a traditional and honored sea scattering." As well as the human remains, the Nyx capsule had been carrying cannabis plant material and seeds for a citizen science project to study the viability of growing cannabis on Mars. In 2024, Celestis sent the remains of several people connected with the cult series "Star Trek" on a final journey into space, including the series' creator, Gene Roddenberry and his wife, Majel Barret Roddenberry, who was one of the actors.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Human remains lost after memorial spaceflight capsule crashes into the sea
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A space capsule included on a recent SpaceX launch almost survived its decent back to Earth, so The Exploration Company is deeming their mission a "partial success". A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Transporter-14 rideshare mission June 23, sending 70 payloads from different customers into orbit. The satellites included cubesats and other spacecraft bound for low-Earth orbit, as well as two reentry capsule designed for recovery back on Earth. The first came from Varda Space — the company's fourth "Winnebago" series spacecraft designed to test first-of-its-kind on-orbit pharmaceutical manufacturing. Its mission is still underway. The second, Tranporter-14's largest payload and the last to be released, was European spacecraft manufacturer The Exploration Company's "Mission Possible" Nyx capsule, carrying remains contributed by loved ones through Celestis Memorial Spaceflights. Celestis offers various tiers of space memorial services that range all the way to launching remains into deep space. Their "Earth Rise" package includes launching DNA of customers' deceased loved ones (or even pets) into space and returning them to Earth. Unfortunately, their return this time around did not go as smoothly as planned. For their 25th launch, dubbed "The Perseverance Flight", Celestis paired with The Exploration Company's Mission Possible to carry its memorial payload to space and back aboard the Nyx capsule. At least that was the plan. Nyx performed nominally throughout its entire mission, all the way up until just minutes before its expected Pacific Ocean splashdown. "The capsule was launched successfully, powered the payloads nominally in-orbit, stabilized itself after separation with the launcher, re-entered and re-established communication after black out," the company wrote in an online update. For any spacecraft reentering through Earth's atmosphere, a period of communication blackout occurs as intense friction with surrounding air forms a layer of superheated plasma around a vessel's hull. Following the most intense stages of falling back from orbit, communications are typically reestablished during a ship's last stretch to landing. Nyx's return, up to that point, was no different — until it was. The Exploration Company's capsule encountered an anomaly shortly after reestablishing communications. "[Nyx] encountered an issue afterwards, based on our current best knowledge, and we lost communication a few minutes before splash down. We are still investigating the root causes and will share more information soon," the company said in their update. Nyx's parachute failed to deploy, according to a later statement form Celestis. "The parachute system failed, resulting in the Nyx capsule impacting the Pacific Ocean and dispersing its contents at sea," they said. In short, the capsule and its contents plummeted into the drink. "Though we currently believe that we cannot return the flight capsules, we hope families will find some peace in knowing their loved ones were part of a historic journey, launched into space, orbited Earth, and are now resting in the vastness of the Pacific, akin to a traditional and honored sea scattering," Celestis said. The Exploration Company echoed that sentiment. "We apologize to all our clients who entrusted us with their payloads," their update reads. Mission Possible was The Exploration Company's second foray into space, and the first for its Nyx capsule, which they are designing with the intent of transporting crew and cargo to and from LEO and beyond. And they aren't letting the snag at the end of the endeavor slow them down. "We have been pushing boundaries in record time and cost. This partial success reflects both ambition and the inherent risks of innovation. Leveraging the technical milestones achieved yesterday and the lessons we will extract from our ongoing investigation, we will then prepare to re-fly as soon as possible," the company said.
