NASA To Carry ‘Message In Bottle’ To Europa, One Of Jupiter’s Moon In October

In October of this year, NASA will embark on its Europa Clipper mission, aiming to explore Jupiter’s moon Europa in search of signs of life. Scientists are particularly interested in a potential salty lake hidden beneath its icy crust. As part of this mission, NASA plans to send a unique message to Europa, symbolizing human curiosity and creativity.

Indian Connection:

1. Triangular Metal Plate:

• Engraving of Poem: The spacecraft will carry a triangular metal plate engraved with “In Praise of Mystery: A Poem for Europa” by US Poet Laureate Ada Limón.
• Silicon Microchip: Additionally, it will hold a silicon microchip featuring over 2.6 million names submitted by the public.

2. Representation of Water in 103 Languages:

• Waveforms: The outward-facing side of the metal plate will display etchings of 103 waveforms.
• Multilingual Representation: These waveforms represent the sound wave produced by saying “water” in 103 different languages, including Hindi.

Public Involvement:

• Last year, NASA conducted a “Message in a Bottle” campaign, inviting the public to submit their names to be included on the spacecraft, further emphasizing the inclusive and participatory nature of this mission.