Cassini Detects Organic Compounds in the Fresh Plume of Enceladus

We discuss the latest detection of organic molecules in ice grains from Enceladus, that were sampled by the Cassini spacecraft just minutes after their ejection into the plume. These pristine grains reveal evidence of diverse, aqueous, chemistry chemistry and could form part of larger chemical cycles beneath the icy crust, enhancing the likelihood that the small moon is habitable, and driving the need for future missions.

Speaker: Thomas O’Sullivan, FU Berlin