Pasadena, California – The NASA Europa Clipper spacecraft, scheduled to launch in October, will carry a symbolic metal plate adorned with names, poetry, and artwork as it embarks on a mission to explore Jupiter’s ocean moon.
NASA has a rich tradition of sending meaningful designs and symbols on its missions, such as the Voyager probes, the Perseverance rover, and the Parker Solar Probe. The Europa Clipper mission continues this tradition by carrying a design that represents humanity’s curiosity and drive to explore the universe.
This upcoming mission will focus on Jupiter’s moon Europa, known as one of several moons with potential oceans that could harbor life beyond Earth. Scientists believe that Europa’s global ocean beneath its icy shell contains more water than all of Earth’s oceans combined.
The metal plate onboard the spacecraft is made of tantalum and designed to protect the electronics from Jupiter’s harsh radiation. It features a silicon microchip with over 2.6 million names submitted by the public, symbolizing a message in a bottle floating within Jupiter’s orbit.
The design on the plate also includes an original poem by US Poet Laureate Ada Limón, a portrait of planetary scientist Ron Greeley, and an etching of the Drake Equation developed to estimate the likelihood of finding advanced life beyond Earth.
Furthermore, waveforms on the plate depict the word “water” in 103 languages, emphasizing the significance of water to life on Earth and potentially other worlds. The spacecraft will utilize cameras, spectrometers, radar, and thermal instruments to study Europa’s formation and assess its potential for supporting life.
NASA’s commitment to exploration and discovery is evident in the thought and inspiration put into the design of the metal plate and the Europa Clipper mission. The team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory eagerly anticipates the insights and findings that Europa Clipper will uncover during its mission at this intriguing water world.