Strands of hair from three legendary US presidents are headed into outer space as part of a time capsule. Celestis, a Houston-based company that sends DNA and cremated remains into space, says it has chosen George Washington, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and John F. Kennedy to have their hair included on the first launch of United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rocket (which was just delayed from Christmas Eve to early January, Space.com reports). The hair clippings will be included in a time capsule meant to preserve history so that future researchers—human or, perhaps, alien—can someday rediscover and study it. The quarter-inch samples of hair were donated to Celestis by an anonymous donor, Phys.org previously reported; other DNA or cremated remains will also be included from people who paid to be included in the time capsule.
"We feel it's an honorable tribute to those three presidents to put them on this first historic mission," says the president of Celestis. As the Houston Chronicle reports, Washington's hair in particular has long been an object of significance for Americans, and more locks of his hair have survived than those of any other president, according to one historian who authored a book about Washington's hair. That's partially because, before photography, locks of hair were kept as remembrances of loved ones, and many of Washington's locks were given in that way (or cut off before his burial so his family would be able to continue doing so). Also included in the time capsule are remains from Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry and his wife Majel Barrett Roddenberry, Star Trek actress Nichelle Nichols, and Apollo astronaut Philip Chapman. (More strange stuff stories.)
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