Template:POTD/2024-10-10
Europa Clipper is a space probe developed by NASA, which is planned for launch today, 10 October 2024. The largest spacecraft NASA has built for a planetary mission, its mission is to study Jupiter's moon Europa through a series of flybys while in orbit around the planet. It is expected to reach its destination in 2030. This tantalum plate is attached to the outside of Europa Clipper to seal the entrance to a vault designed to protect the spacecraft's electronics from Jupiter's radiation. The outside of the plate (pictured) is decorated with waveforms that are visual representations of the sound formed by the word water in 103 languages, surrounding the American Sign Language symbol for the same word. The inside of the plate features a work by American poet Ada Limón.Artwork and photograph credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech