'Water' the symbolic art piece on the Europa Clipper probe
'Water' the symbolic art piece on the Europa Clipper probe
NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft will carry a symbolic message when it launches to Jupi-ter's moon Europa in October 2024. Known for strong evidence of an ocean beneath its icy crust, Europa and its watery connection to Earth will be honoured with a triangular metal plate measuring approximately 18 by 28 centimetres and made of tantalum. The unique object is engraved on both sides and serves as a cover for an opening in the probe's elec-tronics chamber. On one side, the plate features waveforms that visually represent the sound of the word 'water' in 103 languages. The waveforms emanate from a symbol that represents the American Sign Language sign for water. The other side of the plate features a poem for Europa penned by American poet Ada Limón, which can be accessed here.
