NASA's upcoming Europa Clipper mission, scheduled for launch later this year, will be sending special messages into space. Jupiter's moon Europa has been observed to have signs of an ocean beneath its icy exterior that may be harboring twice Earth's oceans.
To pay tribute to Earth's profound connection, the spacecraft incorporates a triangular metal plate, incorporating various symbolic elements. The plate serves as a poignant reminder of our home planet as it embarks on this cosmic exploration.
(Photo : PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
Europa Clipper's Symbolic Dispatch: Earth's Connection to Jupiter's Moon Through Verse, Names, and Symbols
The artifact's core features an engraving of U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón's handwritten poem "In Praise of Mystery: A Poem for Europa." Additionally, a silicon microchip, adorned with over 2.6 million public-submitted names, takes center stage in an illustration of a bottle within the Jovian system. This references NASA's "Message in a Bottle" initiative, inviting the public to include their names with the spacecraft.
Constructed from tantalum metal and measuring approximately 7 by 11 inches, the plate showcases graphic elements on both sides. The outward-facing side displays artwork emphasizing Earth's connection to Europa.
Linguists captured the word "water" spoken in 103 languages, transforming audio files into etched waveforms on the plate. These waveforms radiate from a symbol representing the American Sign Language sign for "water."
Inspired by the Voyager spacecraft's Golden Record, conveying the richness of Earth's life, Europa Clipper's vault plate aims to ignite imagination and offer a unifying vision. Lori Glaze, NASA's Planetary Science Division Director, describes the plate's content and design as richly symbolic, combining humanity's best aspects across science, technology, education, art, and math.
The profound message emphasizes the vital connection through water, essential for life as we know it, illustrating Earth's link to the mysterious ocean world awaiting exploration.
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Unveiling Jupiter's Moon Secrets in 2030 with Commemorative Plate and Pioneering Scientific Instruments
In 2030, Europa Clipper, after a 1.6-billion-mile journey, will begin orbiting Jupiter, conducting 49 close flybys of Europa. Equipped with powerful scientific instruments, the spacecraft aims to assess conditions for potential life by gathering data on Europa's subsurface ocean, icy crust, thin atmosphere, and space environment.
The electronics are shielded in a massive metal vault to withstand Jupiter's radiation, and a commemorative plate seals an opening in the vault.
The Drake Equation, symbolizing the search for habitable conditions, is etched on the plate's inward-facing side. Developed by astronomer Frank Drake in 1961, the equation estimates the likelihood of finding advanced civilizations beyond Earth.
The plate also features artwork referencing radio frequencies for interstellar communication, representing humanity's efforts to listen for messages from the cosmos. These frequencies, known as the "water hole," match radio waves emitted in space by water components, depicted as radio emission lines on the plate.
Additionally, the plate pays homage to planetary science pioneer Ron Greeley, a key figure in the development of Europa missions. Project Scientist Robert Pappalardo emphasizes the thoughtful design, reflecting the mission's decades-long journey.
As Europa Clipper completes assembly at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, it prepares for shipment to Kennedy Space Center, with a scheduled launch in October. The mission aims to determine Europa's potential habitability, exploring its icy shell thickness, surface interactions, composition, and geology. This detailed exploration contributes to understanding astrobiological potential beyond Earth.
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