Elysium Space
Elysium Space is a privately held, San Francisco-based memorial spaceflight company founded in 2013 that sells direct-to-consumer services sending symbolic cremated remains into Earth orbit, the Moon, or deep space for grieving families.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Elysium Space does
Elysium Space, Inc. is a privately held, San Francisco-based memorial spaceflight company founded in 2013 that delivers symbolic portions of cremated remains into space on behalf of grieving families. The company sells three core service tiers direct-to-consumer through elysiumspace.com: the Shooting Star Memorial, which places remains into Earth orbit and returns them as a visible shooting star on atmospheric re-entry; the Lunar Memorial, which delivers remains to the Moon's surface; and the Milky Way Memorial, which sends remains into deep space beyond the solar system. Each customer receives a custom ash capsule kit (~400 cubic millimeters capacity) by mail, with up to three initials printed on the capsule and up to 80 characters of personal message printed on the host spacecraft, along with a launch viewing invitation, video, and completion certificate.
Operationally, Elysium Space does not own launch vehicles and instead rideshares on rockets from tier-one partners including SpaceX, ULA, and Astrobotic, with Spaceflight Industry providing secondary integration on the SSO-A manifest. The company has completed three missions to date: Elysium Star 1 (SPARK, 2015), Elysium Star 2 (SpaceX Falcon 9, 2018, satellite catalog 43760), and Elysium Lunar 1 (ULA Vulcan Centaur via Astrobotic Peregrine, 2024). Pricing is approximately $2,500 per Shooting Star Memorial participant, with a $190 processing fee on cancellations within 30 days, and additional revenue from personalized urns and keepsake hardware. The company is privately held with 1-10 employees, no disclosed institutional funding rounds, and a previously available consumer satellite-tracking app removed from app stores in 2022 as outdated. Its primary customer segment is grieving families and individuals seeking a permanent celestial memorial, and it operates a global e-commerce footprint under a Delaware corporation.
Elysium Space firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Elysium Space
- Legal name
- Elysium Space, Inc.
- Website
- https://elysiumspace.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Elysium Space is a privately held, San Francisco-based memorial spaceflight company founded in 2013 that sells direct-to-consumer services sending symbolic cremated remains into Earth orbit, the Moon, or deep space for grieving families.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Elysium Space industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Memorial spaceflight services
- NAICS
- Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414)
- SIC
- Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Spacecraft & Satellites (Civil/Commercial) (IMABACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Space Logistics & In-Orbit Servicing (Refueling, Tug, Debris Removal) (IMABACAM), Space Payloads & Instruments (Sensors, Comms, EO/IR) (IMABACAD)
Keywords
Where Elysium Space is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Elysium Space business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Memorial Spaceflight Services: One-time service fees for launching cremated remains into space via Shooting Star Memorial (Earth orbit), Lunar Memorial (Moon surface), or Milky Way Memorial (deep space) options. Services include capsule, launch, tracking, certificate, and launch viewing invitation.
- Urn and Keepsake Products: Sale of uniquely personalized urns and keepsakes with final sales policy due to their personalized nature. Ships via FedEx with tracking.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Shooting Star Memorial - Earth Orbit Service |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Elysium Space product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Elysium Space sells memorial spaceflight services that send a symbolic portion of a person's cremated remains into space. Customers purchase a service package (Shooting Star Memorial to Earth orbit, Lunar Memorial to the Moon's surface, or Milky Way Memorial into deep space) through the company website, receive a kit with a custom ash capsule to collect a sample of cremated remains, and have those remains integrated onto a partner rocket (SpaceX, ULA, Blue Origin) for launch. Customers also receive launch viewing invitations, certificate of completion, and tracking capability for orbiting memorials.
Product overview
Elysium Space is a memorial spaceflight company offering three distinct celestial memorial services: the Shooting Star Memorial (cremated remains in Earth orbit that re-enter as shooting stars), the Milky Way Memorial (remains sent into deep space beyond the solar system), and the Lunar Memorial (remains delivered to the Moon's surface). The company has completed three launch milestones—Elysium Star 1 (2015), Elysium Star 2 (2018), and Elysium Lunar 1 (2024)—and provides customers with a complete service package including custom ash capsules, launch integration, tracking capabilities, and commemorative certificates.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Shooting Star Memorial Delivers a symbolic portion of cremated remains to Earth's orbit. The orbital memorial eventually re-enters the atmosphere as a visible shooting star, providing families with an enduring tribute visible in the night sky. Targeted at grieving families and individuals who have chosen cremation and want a distinctive, permanent memorial.
- Lunar Memorial Delivers a symbolic portion of cremated remains to the surface of the Moon via Astrobotic's lunar lander, creating an everlasting lunar commemoration for family and friends. Targeted at grieving families and individuals seeking a celestial memorial on the lunar surface.
- Milky Way Memorial Delivers a symbolic portion of cremated remains to deep space, leaving the solar system to traverse the infinite Universe. Creates a permanent memorial in the vast expanse of the Milky Way. Targeted at grieving families and individuals who want their loved one's remains to journey indefinitely through deep space.
- Memorial Spaceflight Service Package End-to-end service package covering collection of a cremated remains sample in a custom ash capsule (~400 cubic millimeters), integration onto a partner spacecraft, printing of initials (up to 3 characters) on the capsule and a personal message (up to 80 characters) on the spacecraft, launch viewing invitation with live webcast access, video download access, and a completion certificate. Targeted at customers purchasing any of the three memorial tiers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Cremated remains returned as visible shooting stars upon orbital re-entry
Companies that use Elysium Space
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Elysium Space technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature3 records
Elysium Space partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- SpaceXcorePrimary launch partner providing Falcon 9 rocket capacity for memorial spaceflight missions. SpaceX provides launch slots for the Shooting Star Memorial service, enabling cremated remains to reach Earth orbit. The SSO-A mission launched Elysium Star 2 in December 2018.
- AstroboticcorePartner for lunar delivery services through Astrobotic's Peregrine Mission One. Elysium Lunar 1 was launched aboard ULA Vulcan Centaur as part of this mission on January 8, 2024, delivering memorial remains to the lunar surface.
- United Launch Alliance (ULA)coreLaunch provider for the Elysium Lunar 1 mission aboard the Vulcan Centaur rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral, Florida, as part of Astrobotic's Peregrine Mission One.
- Spaceflight IndustrycorePartner for the Elysium Star 2 mission aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 as part of the SSO-A mission in December 2018. Elysium Star 2 is integrated on Spaceflight Industry's Lower Free Flyer platform.
- StripecorePayment gateway used for processing credit card transactions. Stripe adheres to PCI-DSS standards for secure handling of payment information.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Elysium Space competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- SpaceX: SpaceX is both a launch partner and the dominant commercial launch provider that defines rideshare economics for the entire memorial spaceflight category, including Elysium Star 2.
- Blue Origin: Blue Origin is a listed launch partner for future Elysium missions and a broad incumbent in the commercial spaceflight market, providing suborbital and orbital capacity that influences memorial service economics.
- Dignity plc: Dignity is a major UK funeral services provider whose cremation volumes and international footprint overlap with Elysium's global D2C customer base.
- Service Corporation International: SCI is the largest North American funeral services operator and a potential B2B distribution channel — or competitor — for non-traditional disposition services like memorial spaceflight.
- United Launch Alliance (ULA): ULA provided the Vulcan Centaur that launched Elysium Lunar 1, making it a critical launch partner. As a broad incumbent, ULA's manifest priorities and pricing directly shape Elysium's roadmap.
- Spaceflight Industries: Spaceflight Inc. integrated Elysium Star 2 on its Lower Free Flyer rideshare platform and is a broad incumbent in rideshare aggregation relevant to Elysium's orbital launches.
Emerging players
- Moon Express: Moon Express is an emerging commercial lunar payload company that could become a future competitor or partner for Elysium's Lunar Memorial tier.
- Astrobotic Technology: Astrobotic is the lunar delivery partner via Peregrine Mission One, but is also a broader emerging player in commercial lunar payload services — a category adjacent to Elysium's Lunar Memorial.
Direct peers
- Orbital Memorials: Orbital Memorials competes in the same niche, sending a symbolic portion of cremated remains to space aboard commercial launch vehicles. Comparable D2C service model targeting grieving families.
- Celestis: Celestis is the most established direct competitor offering memorial spaceflights to Earth orbit, the Moon, and deep space. Elysium Space's three product tiers (Shooting Star, Lunar, Milky Way) directly mirror Celestis' service menu.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Elysium Space social profiles
Digital presenceElysium Space financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Elysium Space leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Elysium Space funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Elysium Space M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Elysium Space
What does Elysium Space do?
Elysium Space sells memorial spaceflight services that send a symbolic portion of a person's cremated remains into space. Customers purchase a service package (Shooting Star Memorial to Earth orbit, Lunar Memorial to the Moon's surface, or Milky Way Memorial into deep space) through the company website, receive a kit with a custom ash capsule to collect a sample of cremated remains, and have those remains integrated onto a partner rocket (SpaceX, ULA, Blue Origin) for launch. Customers also receive launch viewing invitations, certificate of completion, and tracking capability for orbiting memorials.
Is Elysium Space a public or private company?
Elysium Space is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Elysium Space founded?
Elysium Space was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Elysium Space based?
Elysium Space is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Elysium Space make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Memorial Spaceflight Services are the primary driver. The others are urn and Keepsake Products.
Who are Elysium Space's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are SpaceX, Blue Origin, Dignity plc, Service Corporation International, United Launch Alliance (ULA) and Spaceflight Industries. Emerging players are Moon Express and Astrobotic Technology. Direct peers are Orbital Memorials and Celestis.
Does Elysium Space have an API?
No public API is recorded for Elysium Space.
What industry is Elysium Space in?
Elysium Space's product category is Memorial spaceflight services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABACAB, Spacecraft & Satellites (Civil/Commercial), with a secondary code of IMABACAM, Space Logistics & In-Orbit Servicing (Refueling, Tug, Debris Removal). Its NAICS code is 336414 and its SIC code is 3760.