NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft is set to carry an extraordinary payload as it embarks on its mission to explore Jupiter’s moon Europa in October. Over 2.6 million names submitted by the public will be included on a special tribute plate, highlighting the strong connection between Earth and Europa.
The engraved plate features waveforms representing the word “water” in 103 languages, as well as the American Sign Language sign for “water.” Additionally, a silicon microchip will contain the names of the participants, a poem by U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón, and the famous Drake Equation.
The artwork on the plate is not merely decorative – it serves a purpose. Radio frequencies for potential interstellar communication and a portrait of planetary science pioneer Ron Greeley are included. The spacecraft’s instruments will gather data on Europa’s subsurface ocean, icy crust, atmosphere, and space environment.
To protect these vital instruments from Jupiter’s harsh radiation, they will be housed in a metal vault. The assembly of the Europa Clipper will be completed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) before being transported to the Kennedy Space Center for its highly anticipated launch.
The mission of Europa Clipper is to investigate the potential for life on Europa, a moon believed to harbor a subsurface ocean that could potentially support life. With its state-of-the-art instruments and innovative tribute plate, the spacecraft promises to unveil new discoveries about this mysterious icy world in our solar system.
“Zombie enthusiast. Subtly charming travel practitioner. Webaholic. Internet expert.”