Detection of extraterrestrial life would be an incredible discovery, revolutionizing humanity’s perception of life and providing us insight into how life begins and persists in various environments.
Enceladus
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Whispers From The Deep Sea: The Subtle Sounds Of Hydrothermal Vents
Deep-sea hydrothermal vents host unique life that survives without sunlight, and they play a significant role in the cycle of heat, water, and chemicals within the ocean.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Detection Of HCN And Diverse Redox Chemistry In The Plume Of Enceladus
The Cassini spacecraft discovered that Saturn’s moon Enceladus possesses a series of jets erupting from its South Polar Terrain.
Posted inEnceladus, Icy Worlds, Missions & Hardware, Press Release
What It Would Take To Discover Life On Enceladus
The mystery of whether microbial alien life might inhabit Enceladus, one of Saturn’s 83 moons, could be solved by an orbiting space probe, according to a new study led by […]
Posted inAnalog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Icy Worlds, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Ocean World Away Teams: Alan Stern Announces Call for Mission Specialists for 2023 Titanic Expedition
Earth’s oceans remain the least explored and understood, yet most impactful ecosystems on the planet. With a longitudinal study of the Titanic, OceanGate Expeditions is working to change that.
Posted inEnceladus, Icy Worlds, Missions & Hardware, Press Release
Moonraker: Enceladus Multiple Flyby Mission
Enceladus, an icy moon of Saturn, possesses an internal water ocean and jets expelling ocean material into space. Cassini investigations indicated that the subsurface ocean could be a habitable environment […]
Posted inAway Teams & Field Reports, Enceladus, Europa, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Tricorder Tech: OWLS – New NASA Astrobiology Tools
A team at NASA JPL has invented new technologies that could be used by future missions to analyze liquid samples from watery worlds and look for signs of alien life.
Posted inBiogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Habitable Zones, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
New Evidence For Habitability In Enceladus’ Ocean
The search for extraterrestrial life just got more interesting as a team of scientists including Southwest Research Institute’s Dr. Christopher Glein has discovered new evidence for a key building block […]
Posted inEnceladus, Icy Worlds, Press Release
A Mushy Source For The Geysers Of Enceladus
Enceladus is a primary target for astrobiology due to the salty plume ejecta measured by the Cassini spacecraft and the inferred subsurface ocean sustained by tidal heating. Sourcing the plumes […]
Posted inEnceladus, Icy Worlds, Missions & Hardware, Press Release
Science Objectives For A Mission Concept To Enceladus: The Astrobiology
The Cassini-Huygens mission provided unprecedented information regarding Enceladus’ surface and interior, including the discovery of a subsurface ocean and strong evidence for waterrock interactions, which could provide the physical and […]