LifeShip

How do you get my DNA to the Moon?

It is on a rocket scheduled for 2021 and shared with a dozen NASA missions. We’ve partnered with Arch Mission, a non-profit dedicated to preserving the knowledge and biology of our planet in a solar system-wide project called The Billion Year Archive. A first one is already on the Moon! It was launched in February 2019. You get to go on our next mission together. 

What does it get stored in?

Your DNA gets preserved in artificial amber and stored in a DVD sized Ark along with other species and people. The Ark is made by our partners at Arch Mission and contains a 30 million page archive of human civilization and all of Wikipedia.

What will my DNA be used for?

Your DNA gets preserved as a time capsule for the future. We won’t sequence your DNA, sell your DNA, give out your DNA, or otherwise use your DNA. It’s safe. We take your privacy seriously.

What about contaminating space bodies? Is this legal?

We care deeply about protecting space so scientists can learn about the origins of life. Your DNA is preserved in an artificial amber polymer. The exterior gets sterilized following standard space protocols. NASA has cleared the Moon for biological missions.

How long will my DNA last?

The physical LifeShip with your name could last billions of years. We add radiation shielding though your DNA will degrade over time. Thousands of your cells go for redundancy and we estimate your code will last for over 10,000 years. 

How do I know it happened? What do I get to see from the mission?

You’ll see each step of the mission — from how the DNA is processed to the final landing. You'll get explorer updates and videos about the mission throughout the whole journey. You’ll see how the DNA gets processed. You’ll see how it is stored. You’ll see it on the rocket. You’ll get to watch live for launch and landing. 

What if the rocket blows up?

Space is hard. Rockets do explode and landers sometimes crash. If you don’t make it to the Moon then you’ll go again on our next mission for free.

What could my DNA be used for?

None of us will know. It is designed for the far future. Perhaps it will be retrieved after an asteroid strike to repopulate Earth. Perhaps it is found by another civilization and used to understand Earth today. Or maybe it could be used to seed a new world. We just won’t know. We do believe it is worth saving the blueprint for Earth today.

Why go on the LifeShip?

You contribute your code to a record of humanity. You leave your family’s genes for the future. You get to look at the Moon and know you are there. Your loved ones get a connection to you through the Moon.