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Space Burial [message #114311] Tue, 17 September 2013 15:20 Go to next message
ecl is currently offline  ecl
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Message-ID: <406@ahuta.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 29-Jan-85 10:33:45 EST
Article-I.D.: ahuta.406
Posted: Tue Jan 29 10:33:45 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 30-Jan-85 06:53:29 EST
Organization: AT&T Information Systems Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 25
Xref: watmath net.space:3542 net.misc:7367 net.sf-lovers:5842

The latest venture of Space Services, Inc. (owner of the Conestoga rockets) is

			***Space Burial***

Yes, you can be buried in space!  Just have someone send your cremated remains
("cremains," as they were called in the news story on NPR this morning) to SSI
(not to be confused with the Princeton-based Space Studies Institute, also
called SSI), and they will further reduce them to fit into a capsule
approximately 1" by 1-1/4" which will be inscribed with your name, social
security number, and (optional) religious symbol of your choice.  Then a
capsule containing several thousand of these will be placed into low earth
orbit (through the Van Allen Belt, which has very little satellite traffic).

Oh, yes--the nosecone will be reflective so that your loved ones can, with the
aid of a telescope, watch your remains cruise through the sky.

(The cost of all this is $3900, which SSI claims is not much more than an
earth-based funeral.  Of course, there's the cost of cremation on top of
that, and the telescope,...)

This brings a whole new meaning to the hymn, "Nearer, My God, to Thee"!

					Evelyn C. Leeper
					...{ihnp4, houxm, hocsj}!ahuta!ecl
Re: Space Burial [message #114316 is a reply to message #114311] Tue, 17 September 2013 15:20 Go to previous messageGo to next message
karn is currently offline  karn
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Message-ID: <272@petrus.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 29-Jan-85 22:32:30 EST
Article-I.D.: petrus.272
Posted: Tue Jan 29 22:32:30 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 30-Jan-85 19:07:56 EST
References: <406@ahuta.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Communications Research, Inc
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Xref: watmath net.space:3543 net.misc:7368 net.sf-lovers:5847

What a stupid idea. It's not enough that humans have to waste
on cemeteries the land that's scarce enough in some areas to fight
wars over (which is one good way to fill them). After all the amount
of land in the world is essentially constant and the number of dead people
in the world is monotonically increasing. Now we have to waste
one of mankinds's most expensive and potentially valuable technological
systems we have on it as well.

Ah, progress and free enterprise. What else would you expect from a country
that gave you both Ronald Reagan and William Proxmire?

Phil (I want to be cremated when I die) Karn
Re: Space Burial [message #114317 is a reply to message #114311] Tue, 17 September 2013 15:20 Go to previous messageGo to next message
ndiamond is currently offline  ndiamond
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Message-ID: <6895@watdaisy.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 30-Jan-85 12:54:34 EST
Article-I.D.: watdaisy.6895
Posted: Wed Jan 30 12:54:34 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 31-Jan-85 00:35:01 EST
References: <406@ahuta.UUCP> <272@petrus.UUCP>
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
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Xref: watmath net.space:3544 net.misc:7370 net.sf-lovers:5849

> It's not enough that humans have to waste on cemeteries the land that's
> scarce enough in some areas to fight wars over (which is one good way to
> fill them).  After all the amount of land in the world is essentially
> constant and the number of dead people in the world is monotonically
> increasing.
> Phil (I want to be cremated when I die) Karn

Until "recently" (historically speaking), it was not uncommon for the same
cemetery plots to be re-used, after intervals of around 10 or 50 years or so.
This practice changed when squeamish people migrated to a continent that had
an infinite supply of land.  (They also obtain infinite supplies of fresh
water, food, trees for paper, etc., from this land.)

-- Norman Diamond

UUCP:  {decvax|utzoo|ihnp4|allegra|clyde}!watmath!watdaisy!ndiamond
CSNET: ndiamond%watdaisy@waterloo.csnet
ARPA:  ndiamond%watdaisy%waterloo.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa

"Opinions are those of the keyboard, and do not reflect on me or higher-ups."
Re: Space Burial [message #114428 is a reply to message #114311] Tue, 17 September 2013 15:21 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Anonymous
Karma:
Originally posted by: @RUTGERS.ARPA:TRUDEL@RU-BLUE.ARPA
Message-ID: <496@topaz.ARPA>
Date: Sun, 3-Feb-85 16:36:00 EST
Article-I.D.: topaz.496
Posted: Sun Feb  3 16:36:00 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 4-Feb-85 05:41:53 EST
Sender: daemon@topaz.ARPA
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
Lines: 11

From: JOn 


Space Burial sounds interesting enough to persue further.  I do remember 
reading about this somewhere other than the digest.  It's an interesting 
concept, and the costs don't seem to be 'out of this world' (sorry).  But 
what about funerals at the other end of the shuttle flights?  I had the 
idea about being cremated by the shuttle's engines on takeoff...

JOn
-------
Re: Space Burial [message #117398 is a reply to message #114311] Mon, 23 September 2013 18:01 Go to previous messageGo to next message
al is currently offline  al
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Message-ID: <96@mot.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 12-Feb-85 13:24:31 EST
Article-I.D.: mot.96
Posted: Tue Feb 12 13:24:31 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 16-Feb-85 06:21:07 EST
References: <406@ahuta.UUCP>
Organization: Motorola Microsystems, Phoenix AZ
Lines: 24
Xref: watmath net.space:3560 net.misc:7446 net.sf-lovers:6206


>Yes, you can be buried in space!  Just have someone send your cremated remains
>("cremains," as they were called in the news story on NPR this morning) to SSI
>(not to be confused with the Princeton-based Space Studies Institute, also
>called SSI), and they will further reduce them to fit into a capsule
>approximately 1" by 1-1/4" which will be inscribed with your name, social
>security number, and (optional) religious symbol of your choice.  Then a
>capsule containing several thousand of these will be placed into low earth
>orbit (through the Van Allen Belt, which has very little satellite traffic).

Compact little  shapes? (like what the Kelvans did to the crew of the 
Enterprise) Low Earth orbit? What a drag. I think I'll wait until 
they can give my carcass enough energy to leave the solar system. I
can't decide whether I'd like to have my arms outstretched like
Superman or maybe even go feet first. Imparting a stately slow roll to
the body might be dignified but I'd be mad if they set that sucker tumbling
arsey-varsey. Real comforting, thinking about gliding along that
infinite mean free path until you sublimate.  Better than a pyramid.

--------------------------------
Alan Filipski, UNIX group, Motorola Microsystems, Tempe, AZ U.S.A
{seismo | ihnp4 } ! ut-sally ! oakhill ! mot ! al
--------------------------------
she canna' take much more o' this, captain
Re: Space Burial [message #117485 is a reply to message #114311] Mon, 23 September 2013 18:09 Go to previous messageGo to next message
john is currently offline  john
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Message-ID: <8200045@hp-pcd.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 8-Feb-85 11:47:00 EST
Article-I.D.: hp-pcd.8200045
Posted: Fri Feb  8 11:47:00 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 21-Feb-85 02:54:40 EST
References: <406@ahuta.UUCP>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard - Corvallis, OR
Lines: 13
Nf-ID: #R:ahuta:-40600:hp-pcd:8200045:000:427
Nf-From: hp-pcd!john    Feb 14 08:47:00 1985

<<<

   According to the paper they will fit >10,000 "remains" into a 300 lb
capsule (including capsule weight). That puts your average 150 lb body
down to less than .03 lbs. Talk about compession!

   The scary part is look at what history tells us about civilizations that
start spending significate portions of their GNP on burials and gravestones.
They all seem to collapse shortly after.


John Eaton
!hplabs!hp-pcd!john
Re: Space Burial [message #117572 is a reply to message #114311] Mon, 23 September 2013 18:22 Go to previous messageGo to next message
cjh is currently offline  cjh
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Message-ID: <452@petsd.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 21-Feb-85 15:29:43 EST
Article-I.D.: petsd.452
Posted: Thu Feb 21 15:29:43 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 26-Feb-85 04:17:39 EST
References: <8200045@hp-pcd.UUCP>
Organization: Perkin-Elmer DSG, Tinton Falls, N.J.
Lines: 23

[]
	John Eaton writes:

>    The scary part is look at what history tells us about civilizations that
> start spending significate portions of their GNP on burials and gravestones.
> They all seem to collapse shortly after.

	Is this really true?  The only civilization I can
remember that was notorious for spending a lot on graves was
ancient Egypt.  And they stayed around for thousands of years;
they were conquered by Alexander the Great, later by Rome,
later by Islam - all very aggressive persons or organizations
who conquered a whole lot besides.  I don't see that they died
of the weight of their supposed pre-occupation with graves.

Regards,
Chris

--
Full-Name:  Christopher J. Henrich
UUCP:       ..!(cornell | ariel | ukc | houxz)!vax135!petsd!cjh
US Mail:    MS 313; Perkin-Elmer; 106 Apple St; Tinton Falls, NJ 07724
Phone:      (201) 870-5853
Re: Space Burial [message #117603 is a reply to message #114311] Mon, 23 September 2013 18:22 Go to previous message
crm is currently offline  crm
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Message-ID: <5463@duke.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 22-Feb-85 08:53:59 EST
Article-I.D.: duke.5463
Posted: Fri Feb 22 08:53:59 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 27-Feb-85 04:11:34 EST
References: <406@ahuta.UUCP> <8200045@hp-pcd.UUCP>
Reply-To: crm@duke.UUCP (Charlie Martin)
Organization: Duke University
Lines: 27
Summary: 

In article <8200045@hp-pcd.UUCP> john@hp-pcd.UUCP (john) writes:
><<<
>
>   According to the paper they will fit >10,000 "remains" into a 300 lb
>capsule (including capsule weight). That puts your average 150 lb body
>down to less than .03 lbs. Talk about compession!
>
>   The scary part is look at what history tells us about civilizations that
>start spending significate portions of their GNP on burials and gravestones.
>They all seem to collapse shortly after.
>
>
>John Eaton
>!hplabs!hp-pcd!john

The only thing is, are we *really* talking about a significant part of
our GNP? (O($10^12)).

Remember, the some of the first things they put on TV were wrestling matches...

-- 
		Opinions stated here are my own and are unrelated.

				Charlie Martin
				(...mcnc!duke!crm)

		"I am not a number, I'm a free variable!"
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