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Europa Clipper Vault Plate - Poem Close-Up

This is a close-up view of the poem on the Europa Clipper vault plate’s inward-facing side. It shows a handwritten poem in elegant script, and an engraved portrait of man to the left of the poem.
Source: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Published: March 8, 2024

A close-up view of the poem on the Europa Clipper vault plate’s inward-facing side.

The poem is “In Praise of Mystery: A Poem for Europa," and was written by U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón. It is engraved on the vault plate in her own handwriting.

To the left of the poem are two lines that represent radio frequencies emitted in space for molecules related to water.

In the lower left corner is an engraved portrait of one of the founders of planetary science, Dr. Ron Greeley (1939-2011). Greeley mentored many members of the Europa Clipper team, and helped to lead early efforts toward the development of a Europa mission.

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