In some ways, the history of our solar system is nothing more than the history of water, and how it has been moved between worlds, how it has – and does – existed in frozen and liquid form on many different worlds.

We are able to see the presence of water directly in images, such as those photos taken by Mars Phoenix Lander that showed the sublimation of ices revealed when the lander scraped at the planet’s surface. On many smaller worlds, including Pluto and Europa, we see expanses of ice of many different formulations coating the surface. Directly sampling this water is generally difficult, since we don’t want to contaminant the source of the water with terrestrial microbes. One world, however, is doing what it can to make sampling easy, and that world – Enceladus – is actually flinging water into space with regularly erupting geysers. 

On October 28, 2015, the Cassini mission flew through one of Enceladus’ plumes. According to Southwest Research Institute researcher, Dr. Christopher Glein, “Distinct sources of observed CO2, silica and H2 imply mineralogically and thermally diverse environments in a heterogeneous rocky core. We suggest that the core is composed of a carbonated upper layer and a serpentinized interior.” These kinds of carbonates are found in sedimentary rocks like limestone on Earth, and we find serpentine minerals in seafloor rocks that are rich in magnesium and iron. These kinds of minerals contain many of the atoms and molecules necessary for life as we know it, and this research indicates that the chemical and thermal conditions deep in Enceladus’ subsurface ocean could be consistent Enceladus being able to support life. This doesn’t mean it does have life. This means it could have life, and that is just kind of awesome.

This new research comes from new analysis of data from the now-dead Cassini mission, and it highlights how the end of a mission doesn’t mean the end of that mission’s ability to make discoveries.

Further information can be found at:

NEW SwRI MODELS REVEAL INNER COMPLEXITY OF SATURN MOON (SWRI.org)