Forget scattering ashes into the sea, or even turning your loved ones remains into vinyl records, the latest way to honour your dearly departed is to launch them into space so they can become a shooting star.

Elysium Space is hoping to launch its first so-called ‘memorial flights’ in summer 2014 from Cape Canaveral in Florida.

As part of the plans, the human remains will be launched into space and orbit the Earth for ‘several months’ before burning up in the atmosphere and becoming a ‘shooting star.’

The company plans to work with space transport companies including SpaceX, Civeit and Orbital Sciences to launch the flights.

The price of a launch is $1,900 (£1,180) and for that, customers will be sent a kit containing a scoop to transfer ‘a symbolic portion’ of ashes into an enclosed ash capsule.

The capsule can be engraved with three initials and customers can also write a remembrance message of up to 80 characters that will be added to the metal plates attached on the spacecraft.

Family members will also get an invitation to the launch viewing event as well as a video of the takeoff. After the launch, a certificate will be sent to the family to commemorate the completion of the memorial flight.

The California-based firm has already launched a mobile app to track the ashes sent into space on the flights.

The firm adds that the plans adhere to space environment rules and the spacecraft and ashes have been designed not to create orbital pollution.