14D ago
HOT
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Cassini data now reveal more complex organic molecules in Enceladus’s water‑ice plume, indicating richer subsurface chemistry in its global ocean. ESA is proposing a mission around 2042 with an orbiter to sample the plumes and a lander to touch down near the south pole to search for biosignatures.
— A credible, scheduled European life‑detection mission would shift global space priorities and public debate about funding, risk, and the likelihood of extraterrestrial life.
Sources: Prospect of Life On Saturn's Moons Rises After Discovery of Organic Substances, The 9 biggest gaps in our understanding of cosmic history, The Secret Busy Lives of Small Icy Moons (+11 more)