A Chinese funeral service provider can now scatter ashes in space after becoming the general agent of the American Space Service Inc., according to local media reports.

"We would charge 12,000 to 16,000 yuan (US$1,481 to 1,975) for three hairs and a photo of a person, and 50,000 to 55,000 yuan (US$6,173 to 6,790) for seven grams of a person's ashes, inserted into a container resembling a lipstick," a manager of the Beijing-based Huaisitang company was quoted by the Beijing Morning Post as saying.

Since 1997, the Houston-based company has offered services to send people's ashes into orbit for posterity. The remains of nearly 150 people have been delivered into outer space in its first five launches, with the prices ranging from US$995 to 5,300.

A staff member with the company surnamed Wang told Xinhua that two families had signed contracts with the company to deliver the ashes of their relatives into space and at least 70 families were interested.

She said the company promised to send the ashes into space as a secondary payload accompanying commercial launches of satellites in two years.

(Xinhua News Agency February 27, 2006)