SpaceX is completing preparations for the launch of the Transporter-14 mission, which is scheduled for June 21 from the Vandenberg Space Center. The Falcon 9 rocket will launch several hundred small satellites and more than 150 memorial capsules with DNA and ashes into sun-synchronous orbit, offering a new way to perpetuate the memory of people and preserve the symbolic "messages of humanity" in space.
The capsules weigh only a few grams and contain DNA samples or cremated remains. These services are provided by companies that specialize in memorial flights, such as Celestis. The capsules are placed in mini-containers and launched into orbit as a kind of time capsule, representing a growing segment of the private space market focused on symbolic services.
As part of the Transporter-14 mission, about 45 microsatellites from commercial and scientific customers, including Exolaunch projects, will also be launched into orbit. The Falcon 9 payload is fully equipped for this flight. All objects will be placed in a near-polar sun-synchronous orbit.
After completing the main flight phase, the first stage of the Falcon 9 will land on the automatic marine platform Of Course I Still Love You. The satellite withdrawal will take several hours. The memorial capsules will either remain in orbit or burn up on re-entry.
The Transporter-14 mission is part of SpaceX's Smallsat Rideshare program, which offers small satellite launches starting at $300,000 for 50 kilograms of payload. The program remains in demand among commercial operators, research institutes, and space technology startups.
