June 17, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Susan Schonfeld, Space Services, Inc., 845-364-5309 or 845-406.3102
Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX, 310-414-6555 ext 229

REVOLUTIONARY NEW ROCKET TO CARRY CREMATED REMAINS INTO SPACE FROM PARTICIPANTS WORLDWIDE

Space Services, Inc. (Houston, Texas), announced today that the countdown has begun for the “Explorer’s Flight,” currently scheduled for launch aboard the new Falcon I launch vehicle developed by Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) of El Segundo, California.

The Space Services, Inc. (SSI) team made history over 20 years ago with the launch of Conestoga 1, the first private rocket, opening the space arena to private enterprise. Now SSI is about to make history again with its inaugural memorial spaceflight. In fact, the founders of SSI pioneered post cremation memorial spaceflights with the launch of a symbolic portion of the cremated remains of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and 60’s pop icon Timothy Leary into space in 1997.  Working with NASA, they also placed Dr. Eugene Shoemaker’s cremated remains on the lunar surface, symbolically making Dr. Shoemaker the first person to be buried on the Moon.

“Space remains the domain of the few, the dream of many,” said Charles Chafer, CEO of SSI. “With SSI, the dream of spaceflight, and the desire to take part in the opening of the space frontier, can be realized – and is available to everyone. Further, the dramatic breakthrough in the cost to orbit presented by the Falcon launch vehicle has allowed SSI to offer the lowest-priced memorial spaceflight ever.”

The “Explorer’s Flight” will bring those dreams of spaceflight into reality as the capsules containing the cremated remains of SSI memorial spaceflight participants from countries around the world are launched into space. SSI is offering its space funeral service to people in the US, Japan, Germany, Canada, France, Russia, The Netherlands, India and UK. Funeral homes locally and internationally are offering the SSI memorial spaceflight service to the general public and are now beginning to take reservations.

The “Explorer’s Flight” will launch aboard the new SpaceX Falcon I launch vehicle. SpaceX is a new aerospace company founded by Elon Musk, the entrepreneur best known for two prior Internet ventures, including PayPal, a World Wide Web-based payment services system sold to the on-line auctioneer eBay.
The first Falcon I will launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The Falcon is a two stage, liquid oxygen and kerosene powered rocket capable of placing half a ton into space.

“We are pleased to provide SSI with this flight opportunity,” said Gwynne Shotwell, Vice-President of Business Development for SpaceX.  “The advent of affordable launch services will enable many new opportunities in space and we look forward to being a part of it.”

For more information see www.SpaceServicesInc.com and www.SpaceX.com.

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