NASA MISE

DESIGN PROCESS

I was honored to be commissioned to create the logo for the MISE (Mapping Imaging Spectrometer for Europa) system, a key component of NASA’s Europa Clipper Mission. Launched on October 10, 2024, the Europa Clipper satellite will explore Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa. The MISE system will use infrared light to detect calcium fluoride levels, helping to create a more accurate picture of the moon’s surface. This project is one of the largest currently underway at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Faced with a lack of cohesion among the team, the group leader sought to create a unifying symbol that the engineers and scientists could rally around and use as a bonding mechanism. The team members, proud of their contributions to the Europa Clipper project, wanted a symbol that would represent their work and foster a sense of identity.

During the project, each new iteration of the device received an ascending letter of the alphabet along with a corresponding animal, creating a shorthand that was fully understood by all team members, even though it was never publicly disclosed. When the project reached its 10th iteration, labeled “J,” the team named it “Jackalope.”

This naming convention was so compelling that I insisted using the Jackalope as a cryptic symbol for the project. This image would be special to those involved, serving as a unique and meaningful emblem that only those working on the project would truly understand.