Claim:
In January 2024, a rocket was launched into space carrying the remains or DNA samples of 330 people, including George Washington, John F. Kennedy and members of the cast of “Star Trek.”
Judgement:
Context:
On January 8, 2024, a rocket was launched as part of Astrobotic’s Peregrine Mission One carrying 62 titanium capsules filled with human DNA and cremated remains to be deposited on the moon. Another 268 capsules were sent into space. The shipment included hair samples from former presidents George Washington, John F. Kennedy and Dwight D. Eisenhower, contributed by an anonymous donor. After launch, the spacecraft experienced a leak in its propulsion system, raising doubts about whether it could reach its lunar destination.
On January 7, 2024, a post was shared on Reddit claiming that a rocket would “release the remains of 330 people, including George Washington, JFK and ‘Star Trek,’ into space.” The same claim was also spread on other social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok.
The messages referenced an article by The New York Post published on January 6, 2024, titled “Rocket is ready to release the remains of 330 people, including George Washington, JFK and ‘Star Trek’ who are in space thrown: ‘Permanent memorial.’ ‘” It reads:
It is their final frontier.
After an eight-month delay, a rocket will finally release the remains of 330 people from all walks of life into deep space — including George Washington and “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry.
The first Enterprise Flight from Texas-based company Celestis Inc. is expected to launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 2:18 a.m. on Monday. This is the first time human remains have been released onto the moon and beyond by a commercial company.
The two-stage Vulcan Centaur rocket will first drop 62 of the 1/4- and 1/2-inch-long titanium capsules, filled with DNA or cremated remains, on the moon, in a 6-foot-high and 8-foot-wide room. device called the Peregrine Lunar Lander.
It will be a ‘permanent memorial’.
The article continued, informing that “an anonymous donor contributed hair samples from former Presidents Washington, John F. Kennedy and Dwight D. Eisenhower.”
The spacecraft will then carry the remaining 268 capsules more than 200 million miles into space, where they will “orbit the sun forever,” according to Celestis CEO and co-founder Charles Chafer.
“I’ve had many firsts in my career, but this will be the first commercial space mission ever conducted — and hopefully it will be the first of many, many more over the next few centuries,” Chafer said.
The heavenly cargo will be filled with heavenly lights.
To verify the claim, we first searched for the company Celestis and found that it described itself on its official website as “the pioneer and iconic world leader in providing commemorative space flights.”
Through seventeen missions since 1997, Celestis has helped families around the world commemorate the lives of their deceased loved ones.
Our experienced team – co-founded and led by globally recognized entrepreneur Charles M. Chafer – includes aerospace professionals, dedicated customer service and customer support staff, and aerospace launch management experts. Our directors and advisors include a retired NASA Kennedy Space Center director who led more than 50 Space Shuttle launches, retired NASA astronauts and pioneers of the commercial space age.
Additionally, the website stated that “sending the Celestis spacecraft on a permanent celestial journey with cremated remains or DNA” would cost approximately $13,000.
(www.celestis.com)
We also found reports from The Associated Press (AP) confirming that a rocket would be launched into space on January 8, 2024, containing the ashes and DNA of Star Trek cast members.
AP published a video on the subject and its description read (emphasis ours):
Star Trek stars and fans gather in Cape Canaveral, Florida, for the nighttime launch of a new rocket. The rocket will carry the ashes and DNA of 70 people, including “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry and science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke, into space. It also carries ashes of “Star Trek” cast members James Doohan, DeForest Kelley and Nichelle Nichols, and locks of hair from three American presidents: Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and George Washington.
The project, Peregrine Mission One, was led by Astrobotic Technology, the first commercial U.S. lunar lander mission. NASA’s involvement was notable, with the agency sending its science payloads as part of the mission. Importantly, the mission was not without controversy. Indigenous groups, including leaders of the Navajo Nation and Maori, have expressed strong objections to the mission. Their concerns focused primarily on the use of the moon for human burials, as the moon has a revered place in their traditions.
Despite these objections, the Peregrine mission went ahead, albeit with a technical setback shortly after launch. The spacecraft experienced a propulsion problem after separating from its launch vehicle, a Vulcan Centaur rocket. This anomaly raised concerns about the success of the mission and the fate of the cargoes on board. At the time of writing, there were doubts about the spacecraft’s ability to perform a moon landing.
All in all, a rocket intended to drop 62 titanium capsules filled with DNA or cremated remains on the moon was indeed launched on January 8, 2024. The remaining 268 capsules would be sent into space. However, the mission’s moon landing was in doubt due to a technical problem shortly after launch.
Sources:
Archive, view author and get author’s RSS feed. Rocket will release remains of presidents, “Star Trek” thrown into deep space. January 6, 2024, https://nypost.com/2024/01/06/news/rocket-will-release-remains-of-presidents-star-trek-cast-into-deep-space/.
Peregrine mission one from Astrobotic – NASA. November 29, 2023, https://www.nasa.gov/missions/artemis/clps/astrobotic-peregrine-mission-one/.
Fisher, Kristin. “The Navajo nation’s objection to landing human remains on the moon leads to a last-minute meeting at the White House.” CNNJanuary 5, 2024, https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/05/world/peregrine-moon-mission-navajo-nation-objection-human-remains-scn/index.html.
“’Ignorant and arrogant’: Maramataka expert opposes moon funerals.” Te Ao Māori News, https://www.teaonews.co.nz/2024/01/08/it-is-ignorant-and-arrogant-maramataka-expert-opposes-moon-burials/. Accessed January 9, 2024.
Payload assessments continue for NASA Science aboard Peregrine Mission One – Artemis. January 8, 2024, https://blogs.nasa.gov/artemis/2024/01/08/payload-assessments-continue-for-nasa-science-aboard-peregrine-mission-one/.
“Badmoonlander | Astrobotic technology.” Astrobotic, https://www.astrobotic.com/lunar-delivery/landers/peregrine-lander/. Accessed January 9, 2024.
Roulette, Joey. “Lunar lander problem threatens mission after Vulcan rocket makes successful debut.” ReutersJanuary 8, 2024. www.reuters.comhttps://www.reuters.com/technology/space/vulcan-rocket-set-debut-launch-with-first-us-moon-lander-decades-2024-01-08/.
The ashes and DNA of ‘Star Trek’ cast members and fans are sent to space. apnews.com, https://apnews.com/video/florida-aerospace-technology-spacecraft-dawn-amore-charles-chafer-ebdb7d32c8d44b54bf3144e31243ef8b. Accessed January 8, 2024.
Video: Navajo Nation calls for postponement of moon mission over plan to bury human remains | CNN Business. 2024. edition.cnn.comhttps://www.cnn.com/videos/business/2024/01/06/navajo-nation-objection-to-land-human-remains-on-moon-blackwell-foa-vpx.cnn.
—. www.youtube.com, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4hFP5c-jTQ. Accessed January 8, 2024.