A groundbreaking mission is set to launch on December 24th when United Launch Alliance (ULA) sends its CEO’s DNA into space. Joining this venture is a memorial space burial company, Celestis Inc., which plans to fly the DNA of ULA CEO Tory Bruno and his wife, Rebecca, aboard the first-ever mission for the Vulcan Centaur rocket, which is a shining new addition to ULA’s fleet.
Notably, the Brunos’ genetic material will accompany the DNA, cremated remains, and DNA samples of Celestis’ significant “passengers,” including several prominent “Star Trek” figures such as Nichelle Nichols, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, Gene Roddenberry, his wife Majel Barrett Roddenberry, and visual effects wizard Douglas Trumbull.
With an aptly named mission “Enterprise,” in reference to the iconic “Star Trek” ship, Celestis’ launch will take place from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Florida’s Space Coast. ULA, founded in 2006 as a joint alliance between Lockheed Martin Corp. and Boeing Co., will see its maiden spaceflight of the Vulcan Centaur rocket on this historic day.
Also alongside the courageous crew on this interplanetary journey will be the remains of four U.S. presidents: George Washington, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan, as reported on Presidents’ Day in February.
Tory and Rebecca Bruno, both career rocket scientists, will be celebrating their 38th wedding anniversary if the mission goes ahead as planned. Bruno, ULA’s CEO since 2014, has played a crucial role in developing multiple defense and space launch systems throughout his illustrious career.
“This is such an amazingly unique opportunity, and we are thankful to fly with such distinguished people,” Bruno expressed in a press statement.
In addition to Celestis’ memorial payload, the Vulcan Centaur will carry Astrobotic’s Peregrine moon lander towards a lunar encounter, after which Vulcan’s upper stage will embark on a heliocentric orbit, aptly renamed Enterprise Station, marking a significant step in creating humankind’s deepest outpost in the solar system.
