Meaningful Ideas for Earth & Space
At Space Beyond, we help families create powerful space memorials—sending a symbolic portion of their loved one’s cremated remains into Earth’s orbit. Trackable via a mobile app, it’s a celestial farewell that honors both human and pet ashes in a way that’s awe-inspiring and accessible. But what can you do with the rest of the cremated ashes?
It’s a question many families ask. In fact, over 50 million sets of cremated remains are estimated to be sitting in U.S. homes, often waiting for a more meaningful memorial idea or cremation option that feels right.
In this guide, we explore what to do with cremated ashes. There are many options for honoring your loved one beyond space flight—whether through scattering ashes in a special place, creating keepsakes, planting memorial trees, or simply keeping their cremains close. These ideas pair beautifully with your Ashes to Space launch, creating a legacy that spans Earth and sky.
Why the Rest of the Ashes Matter
When you launch ashes into space with Ashes to Space, you’re sending only a small, symbolic portion of your loved one’s cremains. The rest is yours to keep, share, or commemorate in whatever way feels right.
Some families keep ashes in a memorial urn. Others are searching for thoughtful ways to honor a loved one beyond the closet or shelf. Either choice is valid. Whether you’re seeking simple memorial service ideas, or exploring things to do with cremation ashes, here are options to create a tribute as unique as their life.
🌎 Scattering Ashes in a Meaningful Place
Scattering cremains in a location your loved one cherished is one of the most common and heartfelt choices.
Popular places include:
- Forests, parks, or gardens
- Mountain overlooks
- Beaches and coastal waters
- Private property or hometown landmarks
In the U.S., scattering at sea is legal three miles offshore, with several services (like A Journey With Wings) offering aerial ash scattering over iconic locations.
Pairing this experience with a space memorial flight creates a two-part tribute: one grounded in a place they loved, and one among the stars.
Just be sure to check local regulations and get any required permissions.
💍 Keepsakes & Memorial Jewelry
For those who want to keep a part of their loved one close, cremation keepsakes offer beautiful, tangible remembrance.
Some of the most popular include:
- Memorial jewelry (Cremation Connection)—necklaces, rings, lockets with a small amount of ashes
- Glass art keepsakes (Glass Remembrance)—orbs or paperweights with cremains suspended inside
- Solidified stones (Parting Stone)—ashes turned into 40–80 smooth keepsake stones
These are perfect for families who want a personal daily connection while still launching a portion of ashes to space.
🌱 Eco-Friendly Cremation Memorials
If you’re looking for eco-conscious memorial service ideas, these options combine legacy and sustainability:
- Build an ocean reef: (Eternal Reefs)—Cremated ashes become part of an artificial reef to help marine ecosystems
- Biotree Urn: (The Living Urn)—Plant cremation ashes alongside a tree sapling, creating a living memorial
- Green Burial Urns: (Stardust Memorials)—Fully biodegradable, designed to nourish the earth
These sustainable cremation ideas can coexist with a space burial, allowing your loved one’s legacy to live on in multiple ways—one in the stars, one in the soil or sea.
🌌 Launching Again—and Again
Creative Ways to Honor Life
While most families launch a small portion of ashes just once, some choose to create multiple space memorials over time. Here’s how:
- Shared Launches: Send ashes on the same flight as a spouse, sibling, or lifelong friend. It’s a tribute to the bond they shared on Earth—now continuing in orbit.
- Milestone Launches: Launch a portion of ashes on a significant birthday, anniversary, or special date. It becomes a continuing celebration of their legacy and life.
- Different Destinations: Launch to low Earth orbit now, and later, to the Moon or deep space as those services become available. One journey doesn’t have to be the end.
- Generational Tributes: When multiple family members wish to participate, you can launch portions together over time—grandparents, parents, and grandchildren forming a cosmic family tree.
Launching multiple times is an especially powerful option if you’ve been holding onto ashes for a long time. It breaks the paralysis of not knowing what to do—while allowing you to celebrate your loved one in evolving, meaningful ways.
🪞 A Gentle Nudge: From Closet to Cosmos
We know how it feels—so many people have ashes sitting in a closet, bookshelf, or drawer. Waiting.
Waiting for the right moment.
Waiting for something worthy of the person they loved.
But the truth is, our loved ones deserve more than to become clutter on a shelf, forgotten or weighed down by indecision.
For some, keeping ashes close brings comfort and connection. But for others, it can feel like a burden—especially in today’s more mobile, minimalist-inspired world, where we seek to live lighter and move more freely.
That’s why Ashes to Space offers an option that is both easy and deeply meaningful. You send just a portion of your loved one’s cremated remains to orbit—a gesture that’s powerful and freeing. It’s a way to let go, not of memory, but of weight.
Let their story take flight. Let the rest follow when you’re ready.
✅ Combining Memorial Tributes
One of the most meaningful aspects of cremation is its flexibility. You’re not limited to one form of remembrance.
Here are just a few memorial ashes ideas that families have combined:
- A symbolic launch into space with Ashes to Space
- A scattering ceremony at a favorite hiking spot
- A keepsake necklace for a family member
- A tree grown from a portion of ashes in the backyard
Whether you’re honoring a loved one’s adventurous spirit, love of the cosmos, or seeking connection and serenity, combining tributes allows for a legacy as multidimensional as the life you’re remembering.
🚀 Join the Mission: Send Ashes to Space
When you’re ready to create a tribute that reaches beyond Earth, join us at Ashes to Space. For just $249, you can launch a symbolic portion of cremated ashes to orbit and track the mission via a smartphone app. The rest is yours to keep, scatter, or transform however feels meaningful.
By joining our first launch, you’re not just honoring someone you love—you’re helping to democratize access to space for everyone.
🔗 Pre-register now at Ashes to Space
If you have questions, visit our FAQ or contact us.
Let’s make sure the ashes of those we love don’t just sit hidden on a shelf—but rise, orbit, and inspire.
The stars await.
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