Exploration of Enceladus and Titan: investigating ocean worlds’ evolution and habitability in the Saturn system
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10686_2021_Article_9772.pdf
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4.2 MB
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Author(s)
Mitri, Giuseppe
Barnes, Jason
Coustenis, Athena
Flamini, Enrico
Hayes, Alexander
Lorenz, Ralph D.
Mastrogiuseppe, Marco
Orosei, Roberto
Postberg, Frank
Reh, Kim
Date Issued
July 2021
Journal
Experimental Astronomy
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Abstract
We present a White Paper with a science theme concept of ocean world evolution and habitability proposed in response to ESA’s Voyage 2050 Call with a focus on Titan and Enceladus in the Saturn system. Ocean worlds in the outer Solar System that possess subsurface liquid water oceans are considered to be prime targets for extra-terrestrial life and offer windows into Solar System evolution and habitability. The Cassini-Huygens mission to the Saturn system (2004–2017) revealed Titan with its organic-rich evolving world with terrestrial features and Enceladus with its active aqueous environment to be ideal candidates to investigate ocean world evolution and habitability. Additionally, this White Paper presents a baseline for a multiple flyby mission with a focused payload as an example of how ocean world evolution and habitability in the Saturn system could be investigated building on the heritage of the Cassini-Huygens mission and complementing the recently selected NASA Dragonfly mission.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
Terms of Use
Creative Commons Attribution
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10686-021-09772-2
