The Forest of Dean Crematorium is now offering a final journey that is truly out of this world – scattering ashes in space.

The Westerleigh Group, which runs the Cinderford facility has entered into a new partnership with Aura Flights, to offer two new options for the cremated remains of loved ones.

The ‘Memorial Launch’ service involves ashes being placed inside a ‘scatter vessel’ which is fitted to a space-capable biodegradable balloon filled with renewable hydrogen gas.

The ashes are released in a gentle cascade around 100,000 feet above the earth and spend the next three-to-six months orbiting the globe until they re-enter the atmosphere, where they seed the formation of clouds and fall back to earth as raindrops and snowflakes all over the world.

The ascent and release are captured on video to create a treasured memorial for families of the event.

The Voyager package involves a ceremonial portion of a loved one’s ashes to travel into space, to the same height as the scattering launch, before being returned to their families on Earth in a miniature urn.

Westerleigh Group is one of the UK’s largest independent owners and operators of crematoria and cemeteries, with 37 sites in England, Scotland, and Wales, all set within beautifully landscaped gardens of remembrance which provide pleasant, tranquil places for people to visit and reflect.