Celestis Ventures Deeper into Space with Stoke Space’s Nova Partnership

Celestis’ New Partnership for Infinite Flight Mission

Celestis, known for sending ashes and DNA into space, the Moon, and deep space, has announced a new partner for its upcoming Voyager mission. After careful selection, Celestis chose Stoke Space and its new Nova rocket as the carrier for its next deep space mission named Infinite Flight. This mission is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026, aiming to reach beyond the Earth-Moon system to a permanent heliocentric orbit approximately 298 million kilometers (185 million miles) from Earth. The launch is planned for late 2026 from Cape Canaveral.

A Glimpse at Past Missions

This venture will be the second ‘commercial odyssey’ of its kind. The first, Enterprise Flight 2024, carried the remains of Star Trek celebrities, three former US presidents, and Douglas Trumbull, who worked on ‘2001: A Space Odyssey.’

‘The Infinite Flight mission continues what started nearly thirty years ago when we promised that memory itself could become an act. Our missions ensure every story we carry into space helps expand humanity’s presence in the Solar System. Flying aboard Nova, one of the most advanced reusable rocket systems, is a technical and symbolic leap forward,’ said Charles Chafer, co-founder and CEO of Celestis.

Introducing the Nova Rocket

Stoke Space’s Nova is a reusable medium-class two-stage launch vehicle. It was developed by Stoke Space, founded by former Blue Origin executives Andy Lapsa and Tom Feldman. The first orbital test flight of Nova is planned for 2026.

Expansion Plans

Last month, Charles Chafer announced that his company has opened reservations for a new space mission Mars300, which aims to send human DNA to orbit around Mars in 2030, as soon as an appropriate launch vehicle becomes available.

Celestis has previously utilized launch services from various aerospace firms, employing different rockets, including Vulcan Centaur from United Launch Alliance. In the summer of last year, the European spacecraft manufacturer The Exploration Company (TEC) placed the Celestis Memorial Spaceflight payload on a Falcon 9 rocket, which launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base as part of SpaceX’s Transporter 14 ride-share mission. In that mission, TEC’s Nyx capsule, which contained the remains of 166 people, failed to deploy the parachute upon re-entry over the Pacific Ocean, and the Earth Rise cargo capsules were lost.