Driven by a lifelong fascination with extraterrestrial life and the possibility of lunar colonies, a retired American physics professor has devised an extraordinary plan for his post-mortem existence. He intends to send his DNA to the moon, harboring the hope that it will be discovered by an advanced alien civilization. With this audacious act, he envisions the creation of his clones, bearing his genetic imprint and forever inhabiting the lunar surface.
Ken Ohm, an 86-year-old retired physics professor from Kansas, has always been fascinated by space. He dreamed of becoming an astronaut, but NASA told him he was too tall. Undeterred, Ohm has found another way to fulfill his lifelong dream: sending his remains to the moon.
Mr Ohm has employed a Texas-based company called Celestis to launch his remains to the south pole of the lunar surface. The company charges $12,500 for a one-way trip to the moon.
As per the New York Times, Celestis has launched 17 of these so-called memorial spaceflights since 1994. Some will rocket straight up and descend; some will orbit Earth; some will be sent to the surface of the moon; and some will simply hurtle into space and keep on going. Celestis sends its cargo on spacecraft undertaking unrelated scientific and commercial missions. Packages start at around $2,500.
Mr Ohm's real reason for sending his DNA to the moon is practical: in case, 30,000 or 40,000 years from now, some remnant of this civilization or another civilization altogether discovers his genetic blueprints, and—what, exactly? Anything, really! But if they're sophisticated enough to find his DNA and utilize it, Ohm presumes it would be for something extremely cool, according to the NYT.
