European spacecraft built to carry astronauts is launching first with human remains from 150 people on board - and it's costing big money
Published on Jun 25, 2025 at 4:41 AM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Jun 25, 2025 at 1:30 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
The new Exploration Company spacecraft was unveiled at the Paris Air Show on June 16, 2025, and while they have long-term plans for Nyx to be manned by astronauts, for now, it will carry interesting cargo.
Its commercial load will include 300KG of cargo, such as cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and alcohol-related goods, but that’s not what we’re talking about.
Eventually, it will have four to five live astronauts on board, but for now, this ship isn’t concerned with the living.
That’s because there are about 150 dead people – or their remains – on board.
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Why the spacecraft is carrying human remains
The Nyx spacecraft of ‘Mission Possible’ will include a spacecraft with a mass of 1.6 tons and a diameter of 2.5 meters.
It is carrying cremated remains and DNA from about 150 people.
It’s part of a mission to provide cosmic memorial services to people who favor outer space over a traditional burial on Earth.
It was scheduled to launch on SpaceX’s Transporter-14 in California on Monday, spend three hours in orbit, and finally splash down into the Pacific Ocean.
Luckily, we recently saw NASA practicing dramatic astronaut ocean rescues just in case anything goes wrong.
Nyx is currently being developed for cargo missions, with a demonstration flight to the International Space Station (ISS) planned for 2028 through a European Space Agency (ESA) program.
As mentioned, the company has long-term ambitions for crewed human spaceflight aboard Nyx.
With four to five astronauts inside the spacecraft, it would be a bit of a squeeze.
The crewed version would boast interior design features including windows and touchscreen controls, similar to SpaceX’s Crew Dragon.
The mission is going to cost big money
In terms of a countdown to blastoff, a fully crewed Nyx would take approximately 10 years to develop and cost around €1 billion ($1.15 billion) – not surprising when you consider some astronauts are wearing Prada in orbit.
Even NASA astronauts’ regular spacesuits cost the same six-figure sum as a 2017 Lamborghini Huracán.
Being beyond the financial reach of private or national efforts means that both ESA and European governments must back the crewed spacecraft.
The Exploration Company is pushing for a commitment at the ESA ministerial conference in Bremen this November, calling it a ‘now or never’ moment for European human spaceflight.
Despite the company’s first test, ‘Mission Bikini ‘, failing in 2024, due to a launch system malfunction – the team remains hopeful.
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London-based Amelia cut her journalistic teeth covering all things lifestyle, wellness, and luxury in the UK capital. Fast-forward a decade and the senior content writer and editor has put pen to paper for glossy magazines, busy newsrooms, and coveted brands. When her OOO is on from writing about cars and heading up on-site SEO you can find her spending quality time with her young family, in the gym, or exploring the city she loves.
