Contributed photo That first mission originated from Vandenberg, but the air-launched Pegasus rocket’s drop occurred over the Canary Islands. The mission included symbolic cremains of “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry and 1960s guru Timothy Leary. Other missions have seen other “Star Trek” cast members’ remains along with “a whole bunch of everyday folks” travel to orbit the sun, according to Charles Chafer, Celestis chief executive officer. Along with the Earth orbit missions, the firm also offers opportunities for so-called space burials, including Earth Rise flights such as Monday’s. “What makes Earth Rise special is that you’ll receive the flown capsule of your loved one as soon as we get them back from the mission,” Chafer said. “So you’ll have a forever keepsake from the launch, and we’re just thrilled to be able to provide that service.” For Monday’s mission, the Celestis Perseverance Flight was part of The Exploration Co.’s Mission Possible capsule carrying payloads for 25 other clients from more than 10 countries, according to Erika Wagner, lead for U.S. business development for The Exploration Co. The clients included a Romanian fluid physics experiment and an art package from Israel, she added. Sign Up for the A.M. Report Keep up with Noozhawk's daily news coverage, delivered at 4:15 a.m. right to your inbox. Sign up This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. The Exploration Co. is among new firms creating essentially luggage for customers seeking to get payloads into space for various purposes. “I think this sort of ecosystem of things that are flying — it’s technology, it’s science, it’s art, it’s humanity. These are the doors that are opening broader in a more democratized way everyday with the changes that are happening in our industry,” Wagner said. Mission Possible was set to return to Earth in a controlled re-entry using dual parachutes before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean between the Hawaiian Islands and the Aleutian Islands. The Exploration Co. developed the Mission Possible as the second prototype. The SpaceX rocket launches Monday afternoon from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Credit: