In an exciting nod to public engagement, NASA's upcoming Europa Clipper spacecraft is set to embark on its mission to Jupiter's moon Europa with a special commemorative plate on board. The plate will not only feature a handwritten poem by U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón, but also carry the names of more than 2.6 million individuals who submitted their names to NASA.

Scheduled for launch in October, the Europa Clipper aims to explore the mysterious moon, which is believed to have a subsurface ocean beneath its icy crust, containing twice the amount of water found in Earth's oceans combined. To honor this connection between Earth and Europa, a triangular metal plate will be affixed to the spacecraft.

The centerpiece of the plate will be a silicon microchip stenciled with over 2.6 million names submitted by the public through NASA's "Message in a Bottle" campaign. Symbolizing the agency's tradition of sending inspirational messages into space, this microchip will be illustrated with an image of a bottle, representing the campaign itself.

Designed as a 'Golden Record' for Europa, the tantalum plate measures approximately 7 by 11 inches and features graphic elements on both sides. The outward-facing panel showcases Earth's link to Europa with a striking depiction. Linguists collected recordings of the word "water" spoken in 103 different languages and converted them into waveforms, which were then etched onto the plate. These waveforms emanate from a symbol representing the American Sign Language sign for "water."

Paying homage to Voyager spacecraft's Golden Record, which carries sounds and images representing Earth's diversity of life, the Europa Clipper's commemorative plate aims to ignite imagination and present a unifying vision. With its engravings and messages, it seeks to communicate the significance of water as a vital element for all life forms and highlight the mysterious ocean world of Europa that NASA is eager to explore.

The inward-facing side of the plate contains a special inclusion: the Drake Equation. This mathematical formulation, developed by astronomer Frank Drake in 1961 to estimate the probability of advanced civilizations beyond Earth, has long influenced research in astrobiology. Its presence on the plate signifies the mission's central objective of searching for habitable conditions on Europa.

Additionally, the plate features artwork on the inward-facing side that references radio frequencies used for interstellar communication, known as the "water hole." These frequencies align with the radio waves emitted by water components in space, and astronomers use them to listen for extraterrestrial messages. Depicted as radio emission lines, they symbolize humanity's use of radio waves to reach out into the cosmos.

The commemorative plate also pays tribute to Ron Greeley, one of the founders of planetary science, whose efforts two decades ago laid the groundwork for the Europa mission that led to the development of Europa Clipper.

Europa Clipper's journey to Europa is expected to last until 2030, during which it will make 49 close flybys of the moon. Equipped with advanced scientific instruments, the spacecraft will gather data on Europa's subsurface ocean, icy crust, thin atmosphere, and space environment to determine its habitability.

Assembling the spacecraft at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California is nearing completion, after which Europa Clipper will be transported to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for final preparations ahead of its October launch. The mission's main scientific goals include determining the thickness of Europa's icy shell, investigating its composition, and characterizing its geology, all in an effort to better comprehend the potential for astrobiological life beyond Earth.

With its captivating symbolism and richly layered messages, the commemorative plate aboard Europa Clipper represents humanity's connection to the mysteries of space and the deep curiosity driving NASA's exploratory missions.