NASA Study: Life Signs May Persist Near Surfaces of Enceladus and Europa

Organic molecules could survive just below the ice despite harsh radiation, facilitating future missions.

Evidence of subsurface oceans on Enceladus and Europa suggests potential habitats for life.
Amino acids, key to life, can endure near the surface, reducing the need for deep drilling.
Robotic landers could detect these molecules within a few centimeters of the moons' surfaces.
Radiation experiments show slower degradation of amino acids in biological samples.
Future missions should avoid silica-rich areas where organic degradation rates are higher.