Keith Cooper is a freelance science journalist and editor in the United Kingdom, and has a degree in physics and astrophysics from the University of Manchester.
Europe could be heading to the Saturn moon Enceladus in search of life, according to a new report from planetary scientists who are masterminding a future large-class mission to the outer solar system. is exercising considerable forward-thinking with its"Voyager 2050" program, which describes the scientific goals and missions for the middle of this century.
From both a scientific and technology point of view, Enceladus came out on top, followed by Titan and then Europa.Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors The report suggests that a mission to Enceladus be composed of both an orbiter and a lander. They'd be launched separately onorbit before heading for Saturn. Once there, they'd perform several flybys of Saturn's other moons that could harbor oceans, such asIf Enceladus were chosen, the lander would touch down in the south polar region near the tiger stripes and collect samples of the ocean that have snowed back onto the surface from the plumes.
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