What Does the America 250 Time Capsule Contain? It Will Be Unearthed in 2276
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
Paper, the traditional gift to commemorate a couple's first wedding anniversary, is also a great option for a 250th anniversary, especially when it fills a time capsule celebrating American independence. The 2016 law that created the bipartisan America 250 commission mandated that a time capsule be buried in Philadelphia on July 4, 2026, to be unearthed 250 years later, in 2276. Last week, the resulting 900-pound cylinder was sealed, capping years of technical design and construction, collaboration with state authorities, and meticulous review of the collected items. 'Once it was closed, it felt a bit anticlimactic, and then it was really emotional,' commented Michael Berilla, who leads the manufacturing technology agency at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and headed the team that designed and built the capsule. Designed to Stay Dry The agency led by Berilla, which is part of the Department of Commerce, has previously built coatings to protect historical documents, but those are usually stored indoors under carefully controlled conditions. With time capsules, the number one enemy is water, so much of the design work focused on how to keep it out. The stainless steel capsule is cylindrical in shape, rather than the typical box, because square edges tend to crack and break. It will be covered by a secondary cylinder that traps air and expels any approaching water, and the capsule itself is lined with a soft metal that compresses under pressure.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
