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From being dissolved and turned to 'goo,' to bodies laid to rest in replica Stone Age tombs, there seem to be more funeral choices on offer than ever before.

Now, a company is offering a funeral service where the ashes of a loved one can be scattered at the edge of space from an origami casket.

A camera films the moment the ashes are released above the Earth, and the curvature of our planet can be seen in the shots.

Precious payload: A company is offering a funeral service where the ashes of a loved one can be scattered in space (pictured) and the moment filmed by cameras, enabling relatives to watch

A company called Mesoloft, which is based in Lexington, Kentucky, uses weather balloons to transport ashes, which are carried in a concertinaed container, to the edge of space.

GoPro cameras capture the scattering of the ashes some 75,000ft (22,860 metres) above Earth, so relatives and friends can watch.

'When the balloon reaches proper altitude, the bottom door on the custom payload urn opens,' the company explained. 

Up, up and away: A weather balloon (pictured) is used to transport ashes, which are carried in a concertinaed container (also shown), to the edge of space

A graceful send off: The ashes float gradually to the edge of space where the concertinaed casket (pictured) opens and the ashes are drawn out by the Earth's gravity and the vacuum of space. A shot taken soon after launch is shown

'This is when the vacuum of space, along with gravity itself, draws the ashes out from the insert container.

'Scientists don't really know how long the ashes will remain aloft so we look to volcanoes as a model.

'While volcanic ash does not go nearly as high as our balloons, we do know it can take many months for the ashes to settle back to earth.'

'Ashes from volcanoes can travel the planet before settling down.'

The ashes can remain high up in the atmosphere for a couple of months, before gradually falling back to Earth, as part of rain or snowfall.

There are launch sites in Indiana, Colorado and New Mexico and packages start at $2,800 (£1,800). They go up to $7,500 (£4,800), with the latter offering the option to launch from anywhere.

Final journey: GoPro cameras capture the scattering of the ashes some 75,000ft above Earth (pictured), so relatives and friends can watch. It can take months for the ashes to fall back to Earth

A technical exercise: There are launch sites in Indiana, Colorado and New Mexico and packages start at $2,800 (£1,800). Here, an expert at the company tracks a balloon's progress on his computer

PET MEMORIAL SERVICE LETS OWNERS LAUNCH DEAD ANIMALS INTO SPACE 

The world's 'most unique pet memorial service in the universe' lets owners launch their pets' ashes into orbit and even deep space aboard spacecraft.

The new service has four service options, which start at $995 (£590).

Since 1995 Houston-based Celestis has conducted memorial spacecraft carrying human remains to the moon and letting them drift through space, but the pet service is a new addition, which the firm says has been requested by owners of beloved animals.

The world's 'most unique pet memorial service in the universe' (pictured) lets owners launch their pets' ashes into orbit and even deep space aboard spacecraft

Owners can choose from four spaceflight options, the cheapest of which is the Earth Rise service, at $995.

This option will see a 'symbolic portion' of cremated remains go to space and after 'experiencing the zero gravity environment,' return to Earth. The capsule will even be returned to the pet's family.

While it may be easy to imagine an urn zooming through space, the 'portion' refers to approximately one gram of ashes or a lock of the pet's hair.

The pricier Earth Orbit Service costs from $4,995 (£2,961) and launches pets' remains into space aboard a 'real space mission alongside a commercial satellite.

It will be placed in Earth orbit where it will stay before re-entering the atmosphere, vapourising like a shooting star 'as a final tribute'.

A Luna service, starting at $12,500 (£7,410) could leave the ashes of a pet on the moon, while the Voyager Service at the same price, could see a pet journey through the stars into deep space 'to explore places they could only have dreamed of in life'.