Woman Paid Rs 311,000 To Have Her And Her Cat’s Ashes Scattered In Space After Their Deaths

Elizabeth Garcia, who passed away at the age of 70, and her beloved cat had their ashes scattered in space in an out-of-this-world send-off. The British citizen who lived in Barnsley, passed away from a heart condition in 2022 at the age of 70 but arranged prior to her death this extraordinary final journey.

She was given two years to live but she died less than two months after her birthday. She, like her husband, John, was an avid explorer and would frequently travel across the globe to visit new nations and their people. She, however, had a huge desire to go to outer space.

In order to pay a final, unforgettable tribute to her and her cat, Chloe’s, life, she arranged to have her ashes scattered in the stratosphere.

“They enjoyed travelling and socialising. She was a very generous person helping family and friends without question. Her wish was for her ashes to be sent into space,” her sister Jean said, reflecting on the lives of Elizabeth and her husband.

Elizabeth used the services of Aura Flights, a Sheffield-based space memorial provider. The company charges £2950 (Rs 310,404) for its ‘space memorial’ and the service includes a personalised video and a memorial page on the website.

“It’s extra special doing the launch for someone you’ve spoken with so much – knowing how much she wanted to be scattered in space and being able to fulfil that for her really was a rewarding and heart-warming feeling,” client care and liaison for Aura Flights was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.

Their ashes travelled over 31 kms above Earth in a scatter vessel in October 2023 with the help of a specialist stratospheric balloon. Their black and white portrait photo was attached to the vessel.

The vessel then scattered their ashes across the cosmos and also filmed the entire event.

“It was emotional, but special, knowing this was exactly what Elizabeth wanted. She would have been elated with the outcome, as were we all,” Jean was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.

A spokesperson for Aura Flights said that the demand for the service has grown over the years.