Message in a Bottle: NASA Urges People to Send Their Names to Space Towards Jupiter's Europa

In a unique opportunity, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) invites the public to etch their names on the Europa Clipper spacecraft, destined for Jupiter.

The "Message in a Bottle" initiative encourages participants to submit their names for engraving, alongside a captivating poem by US Poet Laureate Ada Limón, titled "In Praise of Mystery: A Poem for Europa."

NASA 'Message in a Bottle' Campaign

If you want to participate in history by submitting your name for free before 2023 ends and join the cosmic journey of the Europa Clipper, it's your time to shine in NASA's latest initiative. Ada Limón's poetic masterpiece will accompany your name, adding a touch of literary elegance to this interstellar mission.

Scheduled for launch in October 2024, the Europa Clipper will embark on a groundbreaking mission, reaching Jupiter's orbit a staggering 2.9 kilometers (1.8 billion miles) away by 2030, according to the international space agency. The primary objective is to explore the potential for life beneath Europa's icy surface.

Investigating Europa's Mysteries

Armed with radiation-tolerant technology, the spacecraft will execute a looping orbit around Jupiter, conducting close flybys of Europa. Cutting-edge onboard instruments will scrutinize the icy moon, fueling scientists' optimism about discovering life-sustaining conditions beneath its surface.

Robert Pappalardo, a key figure in the Europa Clipper mission, speculates that if life exists on Europa, it likely originated independently from Earth. This groundbreaking hypothesis suggests that life may be more prevalent throughout the galaxy and beyond than previously thought.

Echoes of Voyager's Legacy

While 'Message in a Bottle' marks a novel endeavor, it follows in the footsteps of NASA's earlier extraterrestrial outreach. In the 1970s, Voyager 1 and 2 carried gold-plated phonograph records into space, serving as a time capsule depicting Earth's story for potential encounters with extraterrestrial life.

From hereon, you can embrace the opportunity to make your mark on the cosmos and join NASA's rich legacy of interstellar communication.

It's not everyday that you will send your name into deep space and let it travel billions of kilometers into the vastness of space aboard the Europa Clipper. This way, you will not only help NASA reach out to more people, but this event will also help the astronomers unearth more mysteries of Jupiter and beyond.

Don't forget to sign up here to check in the Message in a Bottle campaign. You can share your customized message in an artwork.

Meanwhile, NASA's Technology Transfer Program touts that there's a way to control the plasma flow on the aircraft flying at hypersonic speeds.

According to Space.com, it can reduce the atmospheric friction or "drag" of the vehicle in space.