NASA is on the brink of an exciting new mission to study Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa, like never before. The agency is all set to launch the Europa Clipper in October, a spacecraft that will carry the names of 2.6 million people, along with other symbols of planet Earth.
One of the main highlights of the mission is a special plate on the Europa Clipper, which will feature a design called “water words” with 103 sound waves representing the word “water” in different languages. The other side of the plate will carry the names of the 2.6 million people in a chip inside an engraving of a bottle, alongside a poem by U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón.
In addition to these symbolic representations, the plate will also feature the Drake equation and radio waves representing the water hole frequencies of hydrogen and hydroxyl. The tribute to planetary scientist Ron Greeley will also be included on the plate as a mark of respect.
The Europa Clipper is scheduled to reach Jupiter in 2030 after a journey lasting five and a half years. The mission aims to shed new light on the mysteries surrounding Europa and provide researchers with valuable insights into the moon’s composition and potential for hosting life.
With the launch of the Europa Clipper just around the corner, excitement is building among space enthusiasts and scientists alike. This groundbreaking mission promises to revolutionize our understanding of Jupiter’s icy moon and pave the way for future exploration of the solar system.
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