Europa: ETA 2030

I was fortunate enough to have my name a part of NASA’s Europa Clipper mission, printed on a microchip attached to the radiation plate along with the Drake equation, a poem by U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón, and radio frequencies related to water. The purpose of the mission is to examine Jupiter’s moon Europa, where there is evidence of vast oceans beneath miles of ice. The Clipper payload was aboard Monday’s launch of Falcon Heavy, a day after the incredible catch of the Starship booster. Clipper is expected to arrive at Jupiter sometime in 2030.

The Europa Clipper mission, set to explore Jupiter's moon Europa, carries a unique "message in a bottle" radiation plate as part of its spacecraft. This plate features the names of over 150,000 people who signed up to have their names etched onto it, serving as a symbolic connection between humanity and the mission. The plate, designed to withstand Europa's harsh radiation environment, is a tribute to the public's interest and support for the mission, with names serving as a lasting legacy in the quest to uncover the secrets of Europa