Scientists Aim to Explore One of Saturn’s Moons by Using a Submarine

Luckily for humanity or not, Mars isn’t the only object from our solar system where we could search for signs of alien life. Moons also represent a good destination for exploration, as they are even more numerous than planets. Saturn, the second-biggest planet, has the most discovered moons from the solar system: 82 pieces.

The moon Titan that revolves around Saturn has represented one of the main attractions for astronomers, and there’s no wonder why: Titan is an object where evidence of stable bodies of surface liquid has been found. While Titan’s oceans are composed of methane and ethane, the presence of liquid water on a space object is a huge hint that life can develop itself there, because all life forms as we know them are dependent on this latter substance.

Submarine launching in the 2030s to Titan?

A new concept mission implies the sending of a submarine to the liquid ocean of Saturn’s moon Titan, with the purpose of opening the path for even more ambitious explorations. Titan is the solar system’s second-largest moon. Scientists are hoping to get NASA’s approval and launch the submarine after at least 10 years from now.

Steven Oleson from NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Ohio declared the following:

We feel that the Titan submarine is kind of a first step before you go do a Europa or Enceladus

Europa and Enceladus are two other moons of the solar system that represent even more attractive destinations for astronomers since they both possess entire oceans of liquid water beneath icy surfaces.

Many scientists believe that life can emerge on a planet once it has the right conditions, and even evolve into complex and intelligent forms. One of these conditions is the presence of liquid water, something that even exists in the very composition of every living cell.

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