NASA is about to launch the Europa Clipper mission, which will take a probe to Europa, a moon of Jupiter. The mission intends to carry a message with words in several languages, including Portuguese.
The moon Europa is one of the most intriguing celestial bodies in our solar system, with an icy surface and an underground ocean that could harbor life forms.
NASA plans to investigate this possibility with the Europa Clipper, which will be launched in October 2024. According to the space agency, the probe will perform a series of flybys, collecting data on the atmosphere, surface and interior of Europa1.
Multilingual Message to Jupiter’s Moon
In a symbolic initiative, NASA will include a metal plaque on the probe with the word “water” engraved in 103 languages, representing life’s universal connection to water.
The choice of the word “water” is significant, as it is essential to life as we know it and is a key element in the search for extraterrestrial life.
Visual representations of the sound waves formed by the word “water” in 103 languages. Image: NASA/Reproduction
The mission also offered a unique opportunity for people from all over the world, including Brazilians, to send their names into space.
Through the “Message in a Bottle” campaign, interested parties were able to register their names until December 31, 2023. These names will then be on a microchip that will accompany the probe on its journey to Europe.
About Europe Clipper
The spacecraft is being developed to study the Galilean moon Europa through a series of “reconnaissance flights” while in orbit around Jupiter.
Initially, its launch would take place in June 2023. However, NASA announced that the mission will begin on October 6, 2024, atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.
