Exploration of Enceladus and Titan: investigating ocean worlds' evolution and habitability in the Saturn system
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.
- Publication:
-
Experimental Astronomy
- Pub Date:
- December 2022
- DOI:
- 10.1007/s10686-021-09772-2
- Bibcode:
- 2022ExA....54..877M
- Keywords:
-
- Enceladus;
- Titan;
- Ocean worlds;
- Voyage 2050