Technical Queries

  • Why launch on different types of rocket?
    • To increase the probability of booking a launch and to remain cost competitive, Aeternum adopts a rideshare approach to get to its desired orbits. This method involves hitchhiking on a prearranged rocket launch, alongside other passengers (usually commercial satellites). Providing the rocket is launching to the desired orbit for our mission, its type is not normally a crucial factor.
    • Rockets that launch far out to Geostationary Earth Orbit are usually different from those that only go as far as Low Earth Orbit. This is simply because Geostationary Earth Orbit is a lot further away and thus requires more fuel and energy to reach, meaning that the rockets generally have to be larger, and are thus significantly more expensive than those only going to Low Earth Orbit.
  • Why do Aeternum spacecraft not orbit freely?
    • As our spacecraft do not have any guidance (or attitude control) systems, staying attached to a rocket’s upper stage or a host satellite ensures Aeternum’s compliance with space debris policies for Low Earth Orbit and beyond Geostationary Earth Orbit. It also reduces any risk we might pose to other satellites on the same launch.
    • The surrounding upper stage or host satellite also acts as additional shielding against micro meteorites, radiation and thermal fluctuations from the sun.
  • What is a rocket upper stage?
    • The rocket’s upper stage is the upper most part of a rocket to which satellites are attached. It has on-board control systems (like thrusters) and is responsible for making precise maneuvers to deliver satellites into specific orbits.
  • How long will my Shooting Star Mission stay in orbit?
    • We will endeavor to have all shooting start missions last at least one year in orbit either by remaining attached to the upper stage of a rocket or by attaching to a larger “host” satellite.
    • If the Aeternum spacecraft is attached to an upper stage, once the upper stage has fulfilled its mission and released its complement of satellites into Low Earth Orbits, it will reduce its speed, de-orbit and reenter the Earth’s atmosphere. The rate at which the upper stage in Low Earth Orbit reenters will differ  depending on the rocket (some are designed to reenter sooner than others), its mission (Low Earth Orbit covers a range of altitudes from roughly 350 km to 2000 km, so if the upper stage is releasing satellites into a higher altitude orbit it will take longer to reenter) and the sun (increased solar activity can cause the Earths atmosphere to swell which could cause upper stages to reenter sooner).
    • If upper stage launch options offer an unacceptably limited time in orbit, we may arrange to have our  Shooting Star Mission hosted on another satellite. Most satellites in Low Earth Orbit will remain in orbit for 1-5 years to fulfill their specific mission before undertaking a controlled de-orbit (much like an upper stage) and reenter the Earth’s atmosphere.
  • Why could digital data and ashes persist unchanged for longer in space, rather than on Earth?
    • Space is away from human tampering, biological contamination and other natural events.
    • There is also no atmosphere and no humidity in space, so physical and chemical desegregation would be far lower than that on Earth.
  • Why have radiation shielding for beyond Geostationary Earth Orbit missions?
    • Space is full of highly ionizing forms of radiation, which over time are most damaging to micro/nanometer sized objects, such as the circuitry in the Aeternum digital storage devices. The Earth’s magnetic field protects us from the majority of this radiation on the ground, but the further you venture from the Earth, the weaker the field becomes, which is why spacecraft require shielding and other forms of “radiation hardening” to counter these effects.
  • How does the tracking service work?
    • To reduce the risk of collisions when spacecraft are launched into orbit, all in orbit objects roughly over the size of a fist are continually tracked by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Aeternum use this NORAD data to track its spacecraft and display the information on the Aeternum Satellite Tracking Service.
  • Why do spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit naturally re-enter the Earths atmosphere, while beyond Geostationary Earth Orbit spacecraft remain in orbit indefinitely?
    • Spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit are exposed to diffuse particles of the Earths atmosphere; these particles eventually reduce the velocity of spacecraft, causing the altitude of their orbit to decay and the spacecraft to eventually re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere.
    • Geostationary Earth Orbit spacecraft are significantly further from the Earth compared to those in Low Earth Orbit, so much so, that the Earth’s atmosphere does not extend far enough to effect their velocity and therefore their orbit could persist indefinitely.
  • Why can’t the exact location and time of my Shooting Star Mission be predicted?
    • Although the mission will be accurately tracked in real time with Aeternum’s satellite tracking service, the exact time and location for the mission to burn up in the layers of the Earth’s atmosphere is hard to predict. The reason is because the atmosphere continually swells and retracts depending on the sun’s activity, it is therefore very challenging to predict at what point the mission will encounter dense enough atmosphere to burn up and appear as a shooting star to observers below.
  • What is space debris, and does Aeternum contribute to it?
    • Space debris is the term given to all inactive, unused objects orbiting the Earth, from fragments millimeters (or smaller) in diameter up to retired satellites and rocket stages. To minimise the amount of new space debris, international policies have placed a 25 year limit on all spacecraft in highly demanded orbits such as Low Earth Orbit and Geostationary Earth Orbit, after that time, they either have to re-enter or be placed in an unused graveyard orbit.
    • Aeternum does not contribute to space debris because its spacecraft remain permanently attached to the upper stage of the rocket or to a host satellite, which in the case of Low Earth Orbit missions, will re-enter well within the 25 year limit.
    • For Beyond Geostationary Earth Orbit missions (aka Space Ark), after the upper stage of a rocket deposits its satellite/s into a functioning Geostationary Earth Orbit orbit, it accelerates up to a higher altitude graveyard orbit (as it is a more fuel efficient option compared to braking and re-entering). Despite complying with space debris policy, this practice does technically add to space debris. However, since Aeternum missions hitchhike on pre-arranged launches, this debris would be created with or without Aeternum’s presence, thus meaning that Aeternum does not exacerbate the issue.

General Launch Inquiries

  • When are launches scheduled?
    • Aeternum is consistently in negotiations with launch providers, so that there are always active missions available to its customers.
    • There is no standardised launch schedule from mission to mission, as Aeternum spacecraft launch alongside other commercial satellites which have their own differing schedules and criteria.
    • Upcoming Aeternum launches are kept up to date on the Aeternum website, with a countdown to an estimated launch date; however this is subject to change, again depending on accompanying satellite schedules.
  • When can you book for a launch?
    • Customers should always be able to book for a launch. If the most recent scheduled launch is closed to additional passengers, either due to all available space being filled or an impending launch date, booking will still be open for later flights.
  • What happens if the launch fails?
    • In the unfortunate instance of a launch failure, all customers involved will be placed free of charge on the next available launch, appropriate to either the Low Earth Orbit or Beyond Geostationary Earth Orbit mission which they were originally launching on.
    • All data uploaded by customers through the website will be uploaded automatically onto the new spacecraft and any engravings will be recreated exactly as on the old spacecraft.
    • Any customers with capsules on-board will be sent new capsules with return shipping paid for by Aeternum. New SD cards will also be included with the capsules if part of the original order. To ensure data privacy is maintained, the data on SD cards is not retained by Aeternum; therefore customers are recommended to keep a copy of all data they upload onto their SD card, until the mission is a confirmed success.
  • How will you know when the Aeternum spacecraft is integrated into the rocket?
    • The closing stages of a mission prior to launch are collectively called the launch campaign. There will be regular updates of its progress on the Aeternum website, including pictures of the Aeternum spacecraft being integrated into the upper stage of the rocket.
  • Where will the launch take place?
    • Aeternum launches will take place from launch sites around the world, such as from Baikonur, which is a launch site located in Kazakhstan. The location of the launch site will differ depending on the nation supplying the rocket. You will receive information on the rocket and launch site location as part of your mission updates.
    • For safety and security reasons customers will most often not be able to attend launches, but will be able to view them on a live video feed which will be displayed on the Aeternum website for every launch campaign.

Ashes Inquiries

  • How do the capsule services for Shooting Star and Space Ark missions work?
    • For both services, you will receive an Aeternum pack by registered courier, containing a capsule in to which you deposit ashes using the equipment and instructions provided.
    • Once shipped back to us, your capsule will be incorporated into an Aeternum spacecraft, regular mission updates personal to your journey, as well as general updates on mission status, will be provided though  a series of messages, photographs and videos. The spacecraft, with your capsule on-board, will then be launched into space, with the orbital duration and altitude dependent on the service chosen.

Order and Shipping Capsules

  • What payment methods are available?
  • What courier does Aeternum use and why?
  • What countries do Aeternum ship to?
    • Aeternum ships to countries covered by its courier…
  • How are shipping fees calculated?

Uploading and Storing Data

  • How do you upload data?
    • Once your order has been placed, you will be designated a folder on the Aeternum server, the size of which will be dependent on your order. You will then be asked to set up an account, with a username and password, to access your folder. Once your account has been finalised, you will be able to log on at any time to upload desired data into your folder
  • How long will you have to upload data from the moment of placing your order?
    • After 3 months your account will be frozen and no more data will be able to be uploaded into your file. This practice is adopted to ensure we can meet rocket launch deadlines.
    • If after 3 months you find more data to upload, your account can be temporarily unfrozen on request.
    • Once pre-flight preparations are begun for a mission, due to an imminent launch date or the spacecraft being full, all frozen accounts will have their data transferred to the hard drives on the spacecraft being prepared for launch. Those account holders with transferred data will not be able upload any further information. Any open accounts at this point will be transferred to the next arranged mission and launch.
    • When you order a data package, the mission you will be allocated will have a schedule that will allow for at least 3 months of upload time before pre-flight preparations.
  • Is the data you are uploading secure?
    • Your data will be password protected whilst stored on the Earth, and it is strict Aeternum policy that any data you upload will not be shared with anyone outside of Aeternum.
    • It is also Aeternum policy that if your file needs to be accessed by us for technical reasons (e.g. for resolving corrupted data), your consent is asked beforehand.
  • What happens to your data once it is uploaded onto the Aeternum server?
    • During pre-flight preparations, your data will be copied from the Aeternum server onto solid state hard drives that will then be integrated into the spacecraft before it too is integrated into a rocket and launched into space.
  • What happens to your data after a successful launch?
    • Once the successful launch of your data has been confirmed, all remains of your data with Aeternum on the Earth will be permanently and completely deleted.
  • What data formats can be uploaded?
    • Most digital formats of text files, photos and videos will be accepted as it is not our business to read them on Earth but directly transfer them to the Aeternum spacecraft and launch them into space.
    • If our server does not accept a file format you are trying to upload onto your folder please let us know and we will troubleshoot the problem with you to hopefully find a solution.
  • Can you purchase more data on your account after your order has been placed?
    • Please inform us if you would like more folder space to upload more data. You may have to purchase separate folder space, but if you let us know that your two folders are linked we will make sure the data on both folders is transferred together onto the data banks of the Aeternum spacecraft before launch.
  • Why is your data stored in triplicate on the spacecraft?
    • The practice of storing all solid state hard drive data on Aeternum spacecraft in triplicate is as a safeguard against potential corrupted file sections, which might otherwise make the data unreadable several years in the future.
    • With three copies of the same data, when matched against each other it is more likely that the original data can be retrieved (despite corrupted sections), compared to the attempted retrieval of the same data from a single source.