A grandmother had a cosmic send off when her ashes were scattered into the edge of space.
Pat Sinclare’s remains were put into an urn and attached to a meteorological balloon, launched by her grandson, Chester Moja-Sinclare 100,000 ft above Great Yarmouth, Norfolk in East Anglia.
A mechanism released the ashes into the stratosphere – where they instantly dissipated into the jet stream and left his beloved grandmother's remains floating above the Earth.
Chester’s far out idea came after he launched a potato dressed as Father Christmas into the stratosphere last year using a specialist balloon.
The spaceship, named Spudnik, reached 90,000ft before the balloon burst and the shuttle floated back down to earth on a parachute.
When it was suggested one’s ashes could be launched the same way, his grandmother, who died aged 82, thought it was a great idea.
He said: “Gran saw the paper cuttings from the time I sent an organic potato into space.
“A family member mentioned it off the cuff that you could send ashes into space and my gran said it would be a great idea.
“We decided to do it after she passed away in January and it was amazing to watch her swoop off into the clouds.
“It was a wonderful way to say goodbye. I miss her deeply, but to commemorate her life in this special way made all the difference.”
The launch took place earlier this month from Winterton-on-Sea, near Great Yarmouth, which Chester chose for its picturesque landscape and safe landing trajectory for the balloon.
The biodegradable urn floated back down to earth and dissolved at sea.
Chester is now offering the space launch service for human and pet ashes for £4950, through the website stardustashes.com.
The philosophy graduate, who lives in London, said: “I’ve experienced this powerful and symbolic ceremony personally.”
