A rocket carrying a NASA astronaut's cremated remains exploded after blasting off from the New Mexico desert.
The spacecraft was carrying the ashes of the late NASA astronaut Philip K. Chapman. On Monday, May 1, the SpaceLoft XL, a small sub-orbital rocket owned by UP Aerospace, was launched at 12:45 p.m. ET.
However, three seconds after the launch, the spacecraft was destroyed in flight after suffering from an anomaly. Now, what happened to the ashes of Chapman?
Rocket With NASA Astronaut's Cremated Remains Explodes!
According to Independent UK's latest report, aside from the ashes of Chapman, the SpaceLoft XL was also carrying the remains of other people, such as Louise Ann O'Deen, a chemist.
We are saddened by the recent death of Apollo-era astronaut Dr. Philip K. Chapman. The first Australian-born American astronaut, he was selected to be a member of Astronaut Group 6, and served as a mission scientist for the Apollo 14 missions: https://t.co/CbSoXOd8Sp pic.twitter.com/8W0gY44FJH
— NASA (@NASA) April 14, 2021
Also Read: NASA Telescopes Capture Bright Galaxy With Supermassive Black Hole at Its Heart
Aside from people's remains, the spacecraft's payloads also include over a dozen student experiments.
Celestis Inc. was handling the mission called Aurora Flight; a company that offers space funeral services.
Luckily, Celestis confirmed that the payloads were safe despite the unfortunate rocket accident.
Shortly after ignition of the Aurora Flight, the SpaceLoft XL rocket suffered an anomaly & was destroyed in flight. UP Aerospace personnel are safing the area around the site.
— Celestis, Inc. 🚀 Memorial Spaceflights (@celestisflights) May 2, 2023
All participants aboard are offered reflight. As soon as we have additional information, we will share.
"All participants aboard are offered flight. As soon as we have additional information, we will share," said Celestis via its official Twitter announcement.
A Chance for Champan to Reach Space
The Celestis official website stated that Philip K. Chapman greatly contributed to the Apollo 14 mission back in 1971.
The memorial spaceflight service provider said that Chapman developed one of the most clever experiments for the Apollo program.
With his contributions to space activities, he is considered an influential NASA scientist.
Sadly, he resigned from NASA in 1972 without even reaching outer space. Because of this, his family decided to ask for help from Celestis to bring his remains to space.
As of press time, Celestis hasn't confirmed the schedule for its next Aurora Flight attempt. You can click here to learn more about this mission.
Here are other stories we recently wrote about space missions:
NASA confirmed that its Voyager 2 science mission will be extended to 2026, thanks to the backup power they generated.
Previously, an ESA nanosatellite was ethically breached; this helped the European Space Agency know the vulnerabilities of its space infrastructure.
For more news updates about space launches, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.
Related Article: Remains of Former US Presidents To Be Sent Into Space, Creating 'Cosmic Time Capsule'
