In an odd twist to an odd story, Scotty’s not in trekking toward the stars.
James Doohan’s cremated remains were supposed to be launched into space along with about two hundred others. The launch of the private UP Aerospace SpaceLoft XL rocket was successful, and all went well with flight trajectory, for some unknown reason the payload ended up parachuting back down into rough New Mexico landscape, where it’s yet to be found.
Scotty always did get in trouble on landing parties …
(via BoingBoing)
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Isn’t that what was supposed to happen? Well, not the difficulty in recovering the payload, but it was just supposed to go into space and then return, not stay up there forever.
An AP article says, in part, “[UP Aerospace Inc. president Jerry] Larson said the payload landed within its designated recovery zone but that future flights will try to target areas with less challenging terrain.”
Hmmm. Maybe. The stories I read were kind of confusing. I’m not sure of the point of sending a gram of ashes up into low orbit for a brief time. (I mean, one can argue the point of burial/memorial rituals in general, but this one, if that’s what was intended, seems particularly … odd).
I think it was just thought fitting that he, in some small part, made it into space.
For a few minutes?
I’d take a few minutes in space over being forever Earthbound.
I’m not sure being on a ballistic arc — essentially gravity bound — would be that much of an improvement or a statement. YMMV, obviously. 🙂
Anything short of escape velocity isn’t much of a burial in space. But hey, Scotty; eventually the Sun will explode and burn off most of the surface of the Earth. Hang out ’til then and you’ll make it all right.
And all our heavy elements come from star stuff anyway, so “remember, man, that cosmic dust thou art, and to cosmic dust thou shallt return.”