Kansas mom sends son's ashes into space in final act of love: 'I was able to give him his last wish'
Steven Gaston had a unique last wish - to be cremated and sent into space. On Monday, his ashes were launched into orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. His remains will orbit the Earth before returning as a shooting star.
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MCLOUTH, Kan. – Steven Gaston wouldn't want to be elsewhere now.
His mother is now left to look up across the open skies of eastern Kansas, lost in thoughts of losing her only child and hoping that his legacy will live on through his final mission on Earth.
Tami Shirey found solace and happiness Monday while observing a symbolic portion of her son's ashes being sent into space on a powerful SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
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At 2:05 p.m. PST on Monday, the Transporter-10 rideshare mission was launched by SpaceX from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base.
(SpaceX)
The remains of the 39-year-old father of two now circle in Low Earth Orbit, offering a glimpse of the world he unexpectedly left behind. Gaston battled intestinal issues before his passing on New Year's Eve 2022. His family waited a year and two months for his final wish to be scheduled.
"Your dream came true," his mother cried, remembering her conversation with her son shortly after the rocket launch at Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California.
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Gaston lived for his children, 15-year-old daughter Hailey and 16-year-old son Steven Gaston III, and they were his world.
(Tami Shirey)
Gaston was loaded onboard a special payload strapped to the Sydney-based Space Machines Company's Optimus satellite, which was successfully deployed 1 hour and 11 minutes into SpaceX's Transporter-10 mission.
"We had families from all over the world participating in this mission," said Dan Peabody, CEO of Beyond Burials, the company administering Gaston's memorial.
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Dan Peabody, CEO of Beyond Burials, holds a payload container that was securely installed on Space Machines Company's Optimus satellite.
(Beyond Burials)
The satellite is expected to remain in orbit for 12-24 months, traveling at over 17,000 mph around the globe.
Shirey can track her son's remains as they orbit the planet until they reenter Earth's atmosphere as a shooting star.
"We know that he's with the stars, and he wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now," she reflected on her son's love of space.
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Tami Shirey, right, found solace and happiness Monday while observing a symbolic portion of her son's ashes being sent into space.
(Tami Shirey)
‘I was able to give him his last wish’
Gaston lived for his children, 15-year-old daughter Hailey and 16-year-old son Steven Gaston III, and they were his world.
He grew up watching Star Wars and was passionate about Star Trek. He even secured a spot to have his and his children's names placed on Mars in two years.
"His last wishes were to be cremated and to be shot into space," his mom said. "Losing your child isn't very joyful, but that was joyful for me, knowing that I was able to give him his last wish."
Shirey said that the $2,500 she paid for her son's memorial service was reasonable and less expensive than an actual funeral.
"Most people think it's more expensive, but it's an inexpensive thing to do for someone who loves space," she said.
Shirey knows her son is now looking down at her with gratitude, knowing that she made it happen.
"I'm sure he longs for his family," she said, "but he's enjoying his time right now."