Fri | Mar 29, 2024
Stranger Than Fiction

DNA samples of US Presidents to be launched into space

Published:Thursday | March 23, 2023 | 7:24 AMBANG Bizarre
April 8, 1982: United States President Ronald Reagan (second left) and Mrs Reagan (right) smile as they walk from the reception line of members of the Jamaican Cabinet (in background) as they arrived at the Norman Manley International Airport

DNA samples from four US presidents – including JFK, George Washington, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Ronald Reagan – will be launched above Earth later this year on "humanity's first deep-space time capsule".

The Houston memorial spaceflight company Celestis, Inc is behind the space launch, which will contain the cremated remains of over 200 people – including 'Star Trek' creator Gene Roddenberry.

The presidential hair samples come from the late celebrity hair collector Louis Mushro and have been gifted to Celestis by an anonymous donor for the purpose of the deep-space mission.

Charles M. Chafer, co-founder and CEO of Celestis, said: "Our Enterprise Flight is a historic mission by any standard.

"The overarching goal of Celestis is to assist human expansion throughout the solar system.

"By adding the DNA of these American icons to Enterprise, we establish a precursor for future human missions, and add to the historical record of human exploration of deep space."

For feedback: contact the Editorial Department at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com.