It could backfire but, what about the gift of a space burial?

“We’re talking about the launching of cremated remains into outer space being offered by a few companies like Celestis and Elysium Space,” Dave Reneke from Australasian Science magazine said.

“From all accounts sales have been taking off like a rocket! Sorry.”

Your loved one’s ashes are sealed inside lipstick-sized containers inside the spacecraft until it reaches orbit then burns up upon re-entry or, if you pay a little bit more, till it escapes the solar system completely. This service starts around the $2,500-mark with the deep space option for $12,500.

“The process is simple and completed with the utmost respect and care,” Dave said.

“A portion of cremated remains is carefully loaded into the Celestis spacecraft and attached to the launch vehicle. It’s the ultimate post script for the space nerd in your life.”

On launch day families gather at the liftoff site to share the experience of seeing their loved ones’ dreams of spaceflight realised.

With a roar and a fiery streak across the sky, the rocket lifts its precious load higher and higher into the peaceful solitude of space.

Memories of the flight participants' lives are shared among friends and family at the pre-launch memorial service and preserved on the keepsake video or DVD which is included in the service. Afterwards the company provides a professionally produced DVD of the entire event as a keepsake.

“Celestis soon expects to be able to send ‘participants,’ as the remains are called, to the surface of the Moon, starting at $9,995.”

Those already beamed up include James Doohan or Scotty in Star Trek, and the creator of Star Trek himself, Gene Roddenberry.

Celestis flights have honoured the lives of people from the US, Japan, Great Britain, Denmark, The Netherlands, Argentina, Canada, China, and Germany.

Would you like to be the first Aussie?