How it Works

The Bereavement Register® is offering you the chance to send a personal message in remembrance of someone who has died. This could be someone you love, a close friend or relative or maybe you want to remember a person who has made in impact on your life from afar.

Whatever your reasons for remembering, here's how it works.

How do I enter a personal message?

1. Click on the 'Send a Message' web page and type your personal message into the free text box in the top right corner.
2. Your message will need to be fairly short - no more than 140 characters (including spaces) which is about 20 words. Unfortunately you will not be able to enter more than 140 characters, so think carefully about what you would like to say.
3. Please don't enter your address, telephone number, bank account details or any other personal information into the free text box.
4. Once you have completed your message you just need to click 'Send'. However, if you would like to receive an email confirming transmission into deep space, please provide your email address, name and home county or town.
5. We may publish some of your messages on the site - please see the 'View Messages from Others' click through button. If you don't want your message published please check the box below the address fields.
6. Then simply click 'Send'.

When will my message be transmitted?

1. All messages must be received by midnight on Sunday 20th December 2009. This is so we have time to prepare all messages received into the correct file format for transmission into deep space.
2. Messages will be beamed up to the stars on Friday 25th December 2009 at 1.00am (GMT).

How is this done?

Our broadcast service provider, Deep Space Communications Network (DSCN), is located next to the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, USA.

And now for the techy bit...

The Bereavement Register® will compile and supply all Christmas messages received through this website to DSCN as a single, comma/tab delimited text file via a secure server on Monday, 21st December, 2009. Then at 1.00am (GMT) on Friday 25th December, 2009, DSCN will send the messages as a single data package into an area of deep space where there are no known satellites using state-of-the-art broadcasting equipment (inclusive of redundant, high-powered klystron amplifiers connected by a travelling wave-guide to a five-meter parabolic dish antenna).

For further information about The Bereavement Register®, click here.

For further information about Deep Space Communications Network, click here.