NEW DELHI: NASA is set to conduct its first mission for a detailed science investigation of Jupiter’s moon Europa in October. Scientists predict a vast salty ocean beneath its icy crust, possibly holding the necessary elements to sustain life.
Europa Clipper’s main science goal is to determine whether there are places below the surface of Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa, that could support life.
After traveling 1.6 billion miles (2.6 billion kilometers), Europa Clipper will conduct 49 close flybys of Europa, examining its subsurface ocean, icy crust, atmosphere, and space surroundings.
In a campaign named “Message in a Bottle,” people were invited to add their names to an original poem dedicated to NASA’s Europa Clipper mission before the spacecraft launch. The poem and the names will be like a message in a bottle, traveling billions of miles as the mission investigates whether the ocean thought to lie beneath Europa’s icy crust could support life.
The spacecraft’s scientific instruments are stored in a protective metal vault, safeguarding them from Jupiter’s intense radiation. Recently, NASA disclosed information regarding a triangular metal panel serving as both a seal for the vault and a commemorative plate.
The message plate in Europa’s Clipper
The plate, crafted from tantalum and measuring around 7 by 11 inches (18 by 28 centimeters), features graphics and text on both sides. Its surface accommodates five distinct elements: a poem, a scientist’s portrait, the outline of a bottle, and two messages related to SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence). These messages include the renowned Drake Equation and “water hole” emissions, which denote a specific range of radio frequencies considered optimal for interstellar communication due to minimal background noise.
The exterior portion of the plate displays graphics that emphasize humanity’s connection to Europa, featuring recordings of the word “water” spoken in 103 languages.
Audio recordings were transformed into visual waveforms, which were then etched onto the plate. A symbol for “water” in American Sign Language appears at the center.
“The message of connection through water, essential for all forms of life as we know it, perfectly illustrates Earth’s tie to this mysterious ocean world we are setting out to explore,” said Lori Glaze, director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, in a NASA statement.
Three main Objectives of Mission Europa
The mission’s three main science objectives are to understand the nature of the ice shell and the ocean beneath it, along with the moon’s composition and geology. The mission’s detailed exploration of Europa will help scientists better understand the astrobiological potential for habitable worlds beyond our planet.
Europa Clipper will orbit Jupiter and make nearly 50 flybys of Europa at closest-approach altitudes as low as 16 miles (25 kilometers) above the surface, soaring over a different location during each flyby to scan nearly the entire moon.
Europa Clipper’s main science goal is to determine whether there are places below the surface of Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa, that could support life.
After traveling 1.6 billion miles (2.6 billion kilometers), Europa Clipper will conduct 49 close flybys of Europa, examining its subsurface ocean, icy crust, atmosphere, and space surroundings.
In a campaign named “Message in a Bottle,” people were invited to add their names to an original poem dedicated to NASA’s Europa Clipper mission before the spacecraft launch. The poem and the names will be like a message in a bottle, traveling billions of miles as the mission investigates whether the ocean thought to lie beneath Europa’s icy crust could support life.
The spacecraft’s scientific instruments are stored in a protective metal vault, safeguarding them from Jupiter’s intense radiation. Recently, NASA disclosed information regarding a triangular metal panel serving as both a seal for the vault and a commemorative plate.
The message plate in Europa’s Clipper
The plate, crafted from tantalum and measuring around 7 by 11 inches (18 by 28 centimeters), features graphics and text on both sides. Its surface accommodates five distinct elements: a poem, a scientist’s portrait, the outline of a bottle, and two messages related to SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence). These messages include the renowned Drake Equation and “water hole” emissions, which denote a specific range of radio frequencies considered optimal for interstellar communication due to minimal background noise.
The exterior portion of the plate displays graphics that emphasize humanity’s connection to Europa, featuring recordings of the word “water” spoken in 103 languages.
Audio recordings were transformed into visual waveforms, which were then etched onto the plate. A symbol for “water” in American Sign Language appears at the center.
“The message of connection through water, essential for all forms of life as we know it, perfectly illustrates Earth’s tie to this mysterious ocean world we are setting out to explore,” said Lori Glaze, director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, in a NASA statement.
Three main Objectives of Mission Europa
The mission’s three main science objectives are to understand the nature of the ice shell and the ocean beneath it, along with the moon’s composition and geology. The mission’s detailed exploration of Europa will help scientists better understand the astrobiological potential for habitable worlds beyond our planet.
Europa Clipper will orbit Jupiter and make nearly 50 flybys of Europa at closest-approach altitudes as low as 16 miles (25 kilometers) above the surface, soaring over a different location during each flyby to scan nearly the entire moon.
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