Cassini Data Reveals Complex Organic Chemistry in Enceladus‘ Ocean, boosting Hopes for Life
Pasadena, CA - july 8, 2024 – New analysis of data collected by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft confirms the presence of complex organic molecules originating from the ocean of Saturn’s moon Enceladus within its icy plumes. The findings, published today in Nature Astronomy, provide compelling evidence of the potential habitability of the subsurface ocean and significantly inform the planning of a future ESA mission dedicated to exploring the moon.
Researchers re-examined data from Cassini’s Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA), revealing a greater diversity and complexity of organic compounds than previously understood in the ice grains ejected from Enceladus’ south polar region.These compounds, detected in freshly ejected material, include molecules essential for life as we know it, bolstering the case for Enceladus as a prime location to search for extraterrestrial life. The revelation doesn’t confirm life exists, but demonstrates the ocean possesses the necessary building blocks and energy sources.
“Enceladus ticks all the boxes to be a habitable surroundings that could support life: the presence of liquid water, a source of energy, a specific set of chemical elements and complex organic molecules,” said Dr.Nozair Khawaja, lead author of the study, formerly of Freie Universität Berlin and the University of Stuttgart. “Even not finding life on Enceladus would be a huge discovery, as it raises serious questions about why life is not present in such an environment when the right conditions are there.”
The Cassini-Huygens mission, a collaboration between NASA, ESA, and the Italian Space Agency, concluded in 2017. Its CDA instrument, led by the University of Stuttgart, collected data on the composition of particles emanating from enceladus’ plumes during multiple flybys. This latest analysis represents a meaningful step forward in understanding the moon’s potential for harboring life.
ESA has already begun studies for a future mission to Enceladus, with plans to fly through the jets and perhaps land on the south polar terrain to collect samples. The findings from this research will directly influence the selection of scientific instruments for that mission, offering europe a leading role in Solar System exploration.
The research paper, ‘Detection of Organic Compounds in Freshly Ejected Ice Grains from Enceladus’s Ocean’ by N. Khawaja et al.,is available in Nature Astronomy (DOI: 10.1038/s41550-025-02655-y).
