They lost Gordon Coopers/ "Scotty" Doohan's/Others ashes???

[johns805]

Hi: My severe opinion is that it's an extreme failure of imagination to put cremains in a rocket for a suborbital last hurrah. Now the headline says,to boot, they also lost the capsule with Cooper's and Doohan's and those of 198 others in mountainous terrain that could be hard to get to.<br /><br /> My preferred option if we're typing about space burials is at the very least:<br /><br />1.) Don't cremate the remains. Keep them whole.<br /> <br />2.) Keep them at a cold temperature to prevent any further deterioration until a launch is ready.<br /><br />3.) When it's time to go, put them in spiritually blessed pods and launch them on a one way trajectory into deep space, something like where Voyager went... I've read that the temp in deep space is about 300 below zero, preservative level....<br /><br />The "what if" imaginative part is, after who knows many eons of travel, an advanced e.t. civilization happen to find the pod(s) and they use their awesome skills to restore our not really gone sleepers to life. Who says it can't happen???<br /><br /> Back in our real world, I think it's sad there is no such vision. If we're reducing people to ashes, why not just skip the rockets and put them in urns to be settled in the usual fashion??? To jerk the ashes around, up and down the sky and even lose them as is in this case somehow doesn't seem to me to be a serious act of respect. Just me. Everyone's entitled to my opinion. It makes me wonder what the Big Boss thinks of all this... Best Regards! ~JBK<br /><br />

 

[pathfinder_01]

“1.) Don't cremate the remains. Keep them whole.â€<br /><br /> In the future it might be possible, but right now spaceflight is extremely expensive. You would fit far fewer bodies into a rocket than you will ashes. Using ashes allows the costs to be spread over more people. Also not all peoplecultures are opposed to cremation. In fact in some parts of the world and at different periods of times it was the preferred means of disposal.<br /><br />“2.) Keep them at a cold temperature to prevent any further deterioration until a launch is ready.â€<br /><br />Not easy. This is expensive. In order to keep the remains for a long period of time(months) you are going to have to freeze em. And we all know what stuff looks like after it comes out the freezer. It might be cheaper just to embalm. <br /><br />“3.) When it's time to go, put them in spiritually blessed pods and launch them on a one way trajectory into deep space, something like where Voyager went... I've read that the temp in deep space is about 300 below zero, preservative level.â€<br />This takes a very powerful rocket(read expensive) rocket. The voyagers were launched by the Titan rocket which was the most powerful rocket and most expensive rocket in the US inventory at the time. In addition it takes months to get into deep space. I will put it to you this way the Titan was replaced by cheaper and slightly less capable rockets because the military wanted something cheaper! <br /><br />The other problem is it takes months to get into deep space and the temperatures on the craft near the earth can range from a few hundred degrees above zero to a hundred below zero. If the area where the body is kept pressurized the bacteria will start decaying it(at least until the radiation from solar flares kills em). If the area is not kept pressurized all of the fluids in the body will boil due to lack of pressure. Not a pretty sight. <br />

 

[subzero788]

Well they haven't given up on finding them yet. Only a small sample of each of the deceased's ashes were flown (ie. a gram or two) so it's not like they've lost the entire remains of 200 people, disappointing as it is. Fingers crossed that they'll find them soon.

 

[askold]

The first time one of these rockets lands on somebody's house in Las Cruces, that'll put an end to these stunts.

 

[bdewoody]

I'm sorry I thought the whole idea was to loose them. Scattered in space temporarily until they came back down like little bitty shooting stars. If the whole idea was to send them up and then recover them so as to make them "valuable" I'm glad they are lost. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em><font size="2">Bob DeWoody</font></em> </div>

 

[PistolPete]

Before all of this, I thought that was the concept as well. I mean, why not? Then you could <b>really</b> go out in a blaze of glory. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><em>So, again we are defeated. This victory belongs to the farmers, not us.</em></p><p><strong>-Kambei Shimada from the movie Seven Samurai</strong></p> </div>

 

[yevaud]

Do what I'm going to do. My demise will involve large explosions and many innocent bystanders.<br /><br />By the way, I'm going to send out invitations. Try to act surprised... <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>

 

[PistolPete]

Will it involve rockets and/or thermonuclear devices? If so, I'm in! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><em>So, again we are defeated. This victory belongs to the farmers, not us.</em></p><p><strong>-Kambei Shimada from the movie Seven Samurai</strong></p> </div>

 

[vogon13]

I have some ordinance (past its' sell by date) you can have.<br /><br />Should still be stable, but I would be careful . . . <br /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[yevaud]

Anything with a half-life, slow neutrons, and 100 million degree temperatures will do. I'm not particular. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>

 

[ldyaidan]

I think it would make more sense for a one way trip into the sun. Doesn't make sense to me to send them up just for them to come back down again, us have to hunt for them, and then do what? with them....<br /><br />Rae

 

[CalliArcale]

Yeah; if you want a high-tech incineration, simple reentry seems easier (not to mention a hell of a lot cheaper).<br /><br />Plus, if the ashes come back to Earth (albeit as space dust) then you are returning them to the system. This is slightly tasteless, but vogon13 will approve: I'm put in mind of the bit in "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" in which they describe the beautiful planet of Bethselamin:<br /><br />"...for instance, that the beautiful planet of Bethselamin is so eroded from millions of tourists that now any net imbalance between the amount you eat and the amount you excrete whilst on the planet is surgically removed on your departure. Thus, every time you go to the lavatory on Bethselamin, it is vitally important to get a receipt." <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[johns805]

Hi: As for what Yevaud has in mind, it's similar to when recently the late wildman author Hunter S. Thompson's ashes were mingled with a ceremonial fireworks display...I recall something about his last wishes were to "go out with a blast..."<br /> This thread has obviously devolved... Seriously I hope that Cooper and Doohan specifically stated that they wanted their ashes to be involved in the ride up in the rocket stunt. That's appropriate. If they didn't, then I think it's all been an unseemly and undignified activity. As of this typing, the rocket still has not been reported as being recovered. I really hope that none of the search crew gets injured or worst since it fell in terrain that's difficult to get to...Best Regards! ~J

 

[ckikilwai]

They've found the capsule!<br /><br />article: http://www.space.com/news/070518_upaerospace_ashesfound.html<br /><br />""It has been found. It is in good shape," Eric Knight, co-founder of the rocket firm UP Aerospace that launched the cargo, told SPACE.com Friday."<br /><br />The article says the capsule also contained some experiments that had to be recovered to.

 

[bdewoody]

So now what are they going to do with the ashes? Sell them on E-Bay? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em><font size="2">Bob DeWoody</font></em> </div>

 

[kdavis007]

They should bring Gordo and Scotty's ashes on the Space Shuttle.