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Europa Clipper Vault Plate - Water Words
![An image of the Europa Clipper vault plate, highlighted from the upper left corner casting shadows that emphasize engraved waveforms emanating from a central point symbolizing the word 'water' in multiple languages. The waveforms present as audio frequency waves. The vault plate is metal silver and the engravings are black, set against a black background.](/rails/active_storage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBdThJIiwiZXhwIjpudWxsLCJwdXIiOiJibG9iX2lkIn19--d4508afff01d0389f654bf24939ad0a3ee9d430a/Europa-Clipper-Vault-Plate-Water-Words-800x600.jpg?disposition=inline)
Source:
NASA/JPL-Caltech
Published:
March 8, 2024
The outward-facing side of the Europa Clipper's silver vault plate is engraved with waveforms for the word 'water' in 104 languages.
The waveforms extend from a circular symbol in the middle of the
design, which represents the non-spoken word for “water” in American Sign Language.