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NASA’s Europa Clipper Vault Plate: A Unique Fusion of Science and Art
A NASA spacecraft dedicated to exploring a small ocean world is set to carry a metal plaque adorned with the various ways humans express the concept of “water.”
The Europa Clipper Vault Plate, unveiled by NASA at the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference, is a 7-by-11-inch (18 by 28 centimeters) tantalum plaque slated to accompany the spacecraft on its mission to Jupiter’s second moon. The plaque, etched with U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón’s poem “In Praise of Mystery: A Poem for Europa,” symbolizes the intersection of art and space exploration.
Lori Glaze, NASA’s director of planetary science, presented a backup version of the plaque at the SXSW event, emphasizing its significance and detailing the measures taken to protect the original plaque bound for space.
The Integration of Art and Science
The Europa Clipper Vault Plate will serve a dual purpose during its journey. On one side, it will seal an opening in the spacecraft’s metal vault, shielding the electronics of its scientific instruments from Jupiter’s harsh radiation. On the other side, the plaque continues a longstanding tradition initiated by NASA over 40 years ago, starting with the Pioneer 10 probe. This tradition involves embedding messages about humanity on various spacecraft, reaching out to potential discoverers in the future.
Recalling NASA’s history of communication beyond Earth, Glaze highlighted the significance of the “Message in a Bottle” campaign associated with the Europa Clipper mission, portraying it as a symbolic message exchange between two distant water worlds.
Celebrating Linguistic Diversity
The outward-facing panel of the vault plate showcases Earth’s connection to Europa through linguistic diversity. Linguists gathered recordings of the word “water” spoken in 103 languages worldwide. These audio recordings were transformed into waveforms, visually representing sound waves, and intricately etched into the plaque around an emblem symbolizing the American Sign Language sign for “water.”
Furthermore, the inward-facing side of the plaque honors Ron Greeley, a pioneer in planetary science whose groundwork paved the way for the Europa Clipper mission. Additionally, the plaque features references to interstellar communication frequencies and the “Drake equation,” a theoretical framework estimating the likelihood of encountering advanced extraterrestrial civilizations.
Concluding the plaque’s design are more than 2.6 million names from the public, a tribute encapsulated in Limón’s handwritten poem, emphasizing the collaborative spirit of the mission.
Looking Ahead
The Europa Clipper spacecraft, still in the assembly phase at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is slated for launch on October 10. Its trajectory will include flybys of Mars and Earth to propel its journey towards Jupiter, with a projected arrival in 2030. The mission encapsulates the essence of curiosity, exploration, and wonder, bridging the realms of science and poetry in a harmonious quest for knowledge.
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