NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft will be launched in October 2024 and will carry a triangular metal plate with a special message written on it as it heads towards Jupiter’s moon Europa.
This side of a commemorative plaque on NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft features the handwriting of U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón. Mystery Praise: Poem to Europa. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.
Measuring approximately 18 x 28 cm (7 x 11 inches), the Europa Clipper’s metal plate, made from tantalum metal, features graphic elements on both sides.
At its center is a handwritten engraving of U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limon. Mystery Praise: Poem to Europaalong with a silicon microchip stenciled with the names of more than 2.6 million people submitted by the public.
A microchip will be the centerpiece of an illustration of a bottle inside the Jupiter system, a reference to NASA’s Message in a Bottle campaign.
The outward-facing panels feature art that emphasizes Europe’s connection to the Earth.
Linguists gathered Recording of the word “water” It is spoken in 103 languages from language families around the world.
The audio file was converted into a waveform (a visual representation of a sound wave) and etched into the plate.
The waveform radiates from the symbol for “water” in American Sign Language.
Based on the spirit of Voyager spacecraft golden recordconveys sounds and images that convey the richness and diversity of life on Earth, while Europa Clipper’s multi-layered message aims to stimulate the imagination and provide a unifying vision.
“The content and design of the European Clipper vault plate is imbued with meaning,” said Dr. Lori Glaze, director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters.
“This plate combines the best of what humanity has to offer to the entire universe: science, technology, education, art and mathematics.”
“The message of connection through water, which is essential to all forms of life as we know it, perfectly illustrates the connection between Earth and this mysterious ocean world that we seek to explore.”
In 2030, after a 2.6 billion km (1.6 billion mile) journey, Europa Clipper will begin orbiting Jupiter and make 49 close-bys to Europa.
To determine whether conditions are conducive to life, the spacecraft’s powerful suite of scientific instruments will collect data about the moon’s subsurface ocean, icy crust, thin atmosphere, and space environment.
The electronics of these devices are stored in giant metal vaults designed to protect them from Jupiter’s harsh radiation. A commemorative plate seals off the vault opening.
Because the mission is to find habitable conditions, drake equation It is also etched on the inside of the plate.
Astronomer Frank Drake developed a mathematical formulation in 1961 to estimate the possibility of advanced civilizations existing beyond Earth.
This equation has continued to inspire and guide research in astrobiology and related fields ever since.
In addition, the artwork on the inside of the plate includes references to radio frequencies that could be used for interstellar communications, symbolizing how humans use this radio band to listen to messages from space. Masu.
These particular frequencies correspond to radio waves emitted into space by water components and are known to astronomers as the “water hole.” On the plate, they are depicted as radio emission lines.
Finally, this plate includes a portrait of Ron Greeley, one of the founders of planetary science. Ron Greeley worked on the early efforts to develop the Europa mission 20 years ago, laying the foundation for the Europa Clipper.
“A lot of thought and inspiration went into the design of this plate, as did the mission itself,” said Robert Pappalardo, project scientist for Europa Clipper and a research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. says.
“It’s been a long journey over many decades, and I can’t wait to see what the European Clipper has to show us in this world of water.”
Source: www.sci.news
