Enceladus Harbors Key Ingredient for Life and Powerful Energy Source

New findings from NASA's Cassini mission data suggest Saturn's moon could be more habitable than previously thought.

New analysis of data from NASA's Cassini mission reveals that Saturn's moon Enceladus contains hydrogen cyanide, a key ingredient for life, and a powerful energy source deep below its icy shell.
Enceladus' subsurface ocean, from which plumes of ice and water originate, could be the source of several other organic compounds, some of which serve as fuel sources for terrestrial organisms.
The presence of hydrogen cyanide, a crucial precursor for some molecules necessary for life, takes the concept that Enceladus could be habitable to a whole new level.
The new findings suggest that there are various chemical pathways available for organisms in the moon's subsurface ocean, providing more energy than previously thought.
Scientists plan to investigate these chemical pathways for life in the lab, using the new findings to determine if Enceladus really has the right conditions for life.