NASA invites everyone to send their names on a journey to Jupiter’s icy moon Europa aboard the Europa Clipper mission, launching in 2024. Similar to previous initiatives, the names will be stored on a chip on the spacecraft, fostering public interest in space exploration. The Europa Clipper will embark on a trajectory involving a flyby of Mars and Earth, finally reaching Europa in 2030 to perform at least 50 close flybys, gathering data with its nine scientific instruments, including cameras and spectrometers.
The spacecraft, with a wingspan of 30 meters due to its solar panels and a launch mass of 6 tons, will investigate Europa’s potential for extraterrestrial life, diving into the mysteries beneath its icy surface with radar and analyzing its atmosphere with gas and dust analyzers.
Over 640,000 names have been submitted globally, with the USA, India, and Iran leading in contributions. A special poem by Ada Limón, “In Praise of Mystery: A Poem for Europa,” will also be included on the mission, etched on a tantalum plate aboard the spacecraft.Ernst told the Hollywood Reporter in a new interview that he’s gotten “positive feedback” about the movie and that the Dean estate has been “supportive,” saying it will inspire “a whole new generation of filmgoers to be aware of James Dean.” He didn’t see the overwhelming negativity coming. Per the Reporter:
Follow this link to have your name engraved on NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft.
