A plume of smoke marked the inaugural launch of the Vulcan Centaur rocket, carrying Angela Burke’s ashes into deep space, according to a The Ponca City News article. They say, 

“A plume of smoke emerged as a long-awaited rocket shot into the sky early Monday, carrying a North Texas woman to her final resting place — deep space. For its inaugural launch, the Vulcan Centaur rocket lifted off in the early hours from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, with the cremated remains of Angela Burke on board, a celebration of life for the Dallas-area woman who died…”

The Vulcan Centaur rocket also carried ashes of astronauts, Star Trek’s creator, and DNA from U.S. presidents, destined for lunar lander and sun orbit, according to Celestis, according to a Dallas Morning News article. They provide,

“The ashes of many others — including two astronauts, the creator of the Star Trek television series and some of the actors — along with DNA from three U.S. presidents were sent to deep space, according to Celestis, a company that provides memorial services in space.

At about 220,000 miles above Earth, the rocket is supposed to split, sending some individuals’ remains to the moon’s surface on a lunar lander while others continue on to a second path: to orbit around the sun forever, said Colby Youngblood, the Celestis president.”

People might be surprised at the cost, about $12,500, to send remains to space. It’s a secondary payload, saving costs.