Enceladus Life Signatures and Habitability

Short description: Astrobiology concept mission

Enceladus's south pole - Geysers spray water from many locations along the 'tiger stripes' feature. Artist's impression of possible hydrothermal activity on Enceladus.

Enceladus Life Signatures and Habitability (ELSAH) is an astrobiology concept mission proposed in 2017 to NASA's New Frontiers program to send a spacecraft to Enceladus to search for biosignatures and assess its habitability.[1][2] The Principal Investigator is Christopher P. McKay, an astrobiologist at NASA Ames Research Center,[3] and the managing NASA center is Goddard Space Flight Center. No details of the mission have been made public, but observers speculate that it would be a plume-sampling orbiter mission.[4]

The two finalists, announced on 20 December 2017, are Dragonfly to Titan, and CAESAR (Comet Astrobiology Exploration Sample Return) which is a sample-return mission from comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.[5]

Although ELSAH was not selected for launch in this instance, it received technology development funds to prepare it for future mission competitions.[6] The funds are meant to develop techniques that limit spacecraft contamination and thereby enable life detection measurements on cost-capped missions.[6]

## See also

* Enceladus Explorer (En-Ex)
* Enceladus Life Finder (ELF)
* Explorer of Enceladus and Titan (E2T)
* Journey to Enceladus and Titan (JET)
* Life Investigation For Enceladus (LIFE)
* THEO

## References

1. ↑ "Proposed New Frontiers Missions". Future Planetary Exploration. 4 August 2017. http://futureplanets.blogspot.com/2017/08/proposed-new-frontiers-missions.html.
2. ↑ McIntyre, Ocean (17 September 2017). "Cassini: The legend and legacy of one of NASA's most prolific missions". Spaceflight Insider. http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/missions/solar-system/cassini-legend-legacy-one-nasa-prolific-missions/.
3. ↑ Chang, Kenneth (15 September 2017). "Back to Saturn? Five Missions Proposed to Follow Cassini". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/15/science/saturn-cassini-return.html.
4. ↑ Back to Saturn? NASA Eyes Possible Return Mission as Cassini Ends. Mike Wall. Space. 17 September 2017.
5. ↑ NASA's New Frontier Mission Will Search For Alien Life Or Reveal The Solar System's History. Elana Glowatz, IB Times. 20 December 2017.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 NASA Invests in Concept Development for Missions to Comet, Saturn Moon Titan. NASA News. 20 December 2017.

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Astrobiology

Disciplines|

* Astrochemistry
* Astrophysics
* Atmospheric sciences
* Biochemistry
* Evolutionary biology
* Exoplanetology
* Geomicrobiology
* Microbiology
* Paleontology
* Planetary science

Main topics|

* Abiogenesis
* Allan Hills 84001
* Biomolecule
* Biosignature
* Drake equation
* Earliest known life forms
* Earth analog
* Extraterrestrial life
* Extraterrestrial sample curation
* Extremophiles
* Hypothetical types of biochemistry
* List of microorganisms tested in outer space
* Molecules detected in outer space
* Ocean planet
* Origin of life
* Panspermia
* Planetary protection
* Search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI)
* Yamato meteorite

Planetary
habitability|

* Habitability of binary star systems
* Habitability of K-type main-sequence star systems
* Habitability of natural satellites
* Habitability of red dwarf systems
* Circumstellar habitable zone
* Earth analog
* List of potentially habitable exoplanets
* Tholin
* Extraterrestrial liquid water
* Galactic habitable zone
* Superhabitable planet

Space
missions|

| Earth orbit|

* BIO
* BIOCORE
* Biolab
* Bion
* BIOPAN
* Biosatellite program
* E-MIST
* ERA
* CROPIS
* EXOSTACK
* EXPOSE
* Lunar Micro Ecosystem
* O/OREOS
* OREOcube
* Tanpopo
* VEGGIE

|

Mars|

* Beagle 2
* ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter
* Fobos-Grunt
* Mars Science Laboratory
* Curiosity
* Phoenix
* Viking

Comets and
asteroids|

* Hayabusa2
* OSIRIS-REx
* Rosetta

Planned|

* BioSentinel
* Dragonfly
* Europa Clipper
* ExoMars
* Rosalind Franklin rover
* Kazachock lander
* Mars 2020 rover
* HX-1

Proposed|

* CAESAR
* Enceladus Explorer
* Enceladus Life Finder‎
* Enceladus Life Signatures and Habitability
* Europa Lander
* ExoLance
* Explorer of Enceladus and Titan
* Icebreaker Life
* Journey to Enceladus and Titan
* Laplace-P
* Life Investigation For Enceladus
* Mars sample return mission
* Oceanus
* THEO
* Trident

Cancelled and
undeveloped|

* Astrobiology Field Laboratory
* Beagle 3
* Biological Oxidant and Life Detection
* Living Interplanetary Flight Experiment
* Mars Astrobiology Explorer-Cacher
* MELOS
* Northern Light
* Red Dragon
* Terrestrial Planet Finder

Institutions
and programs|

* Astrobiology Society of Britain
* Astrobiology Science and Technology for Exploring Planets
* Breakthrough Initiatives
* Breakthrough Listen
* Breakthrough Message
* Breakthrough Starshot
* Carl Sagan Institute
* Center for Life Detection Science
* European Astrobiology Network Association
* NASA Astrobiology Institute
* Nexus for Exoplanet System Science
* Ocean Worlds Exploration Program
* Spanish Astrobiology Center‎

* Category
* Commons
* Portal: Astronomy
* Biology

* v
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Extraterrestrial life

Events and objects|

* ALH77005
* ALH84001
* Cells in the stratosphere
* CI1 fossils
* Murchison meteorite
* Nakhla meteorite
* Polonnaruwa meteorite
* Red rain in Kerala
* Shergotty meteorite
* Viking lander biological experiments
* Yamato 000593

Signals of interest|

| Misidentified|

* CP 1919 (misidentified pulsar)
* CTA-102 (misidentified quasar)

|

Stars|

* KIC 8462852 (unusual light fluctuations)
* EPIC 204278916 (unusual light fluctuations)
* VVV-WIT-07 (unusual light fluctuations)
* HD 164595 signal (unknown origin)

Other|

* SHGb02+14a (radio source)
* Wow! signal (inconclusive)
* Fast radio burst (unknown origin)

Life in the Universe|

* Earliest known life forms
* Habitability of Enceladus
* Habitability of Europa
* Habitability of Mars
* Habitability of Titan
* Habitability of Venus

Planetary
habitability|

* Catalog of Nearby Habitable Systems
* Circumstellar habitable zone
* Earth analog
* Extraterrestrial liquid water
* Galactic habitable zone
* Habitability of binary star systems
* Habitability of orange dwarf systems
* Habitability of red dwarf systems
* Natural satellite habitability
* Planetary habitability

Space missions|

* Beagle 2
* Biological Oxidant and Life Detection
* BioSentinel
* Curiosity rover
* Darwin
* Dragonfly
* Enceladus Explorer
* Enceladus Life Finder
* Europa Clipper
* ExoMars
* Rosalind Franklin rover
* ExoLance
* EXPOSE
* Foton-M3
* Icebreaker Life
* Journey to Enceladus and Titan
* Laplace-P
* Life Investigation For Enceladus
* Living Interplanetary Flight Experiment
* Mars Geyser Hopper
* Mars sample-return mission
* Mars 2020
* Northern Light
* Opportunity rover
* SpaceX Red Dragon
* Spirit rover
* Tanpopo
* Titan Mare Explorer
* Venus In Situ Explorer
* Viking 1
* Viking 2

Interstellar
communication|

* Active SETI
* Allen Telescope Array
* Arecibo message
* Arecibo Observatory
* Berkeley SETI Research Center
* Bracewell probe
* Breakthrough Initiatives
* Breakthrough Listen
* Breakthrough Message
* Communication with extraterrestrial intelligence
* Gauss's Pythagorean right triangle proposal
* Lincos language
* NIROSETI
* Pioneer plaque
* Project Cyclops
* Project Ozma
* Project Phoenix
* SERENDIP
* Search for extraterrestrial intelligence
* SETI@home
* setiQuest
* Voyager Golden Record
* Water hole
* Xenolinguistics

Exhibitions|

* The Science of Aliens

Hypotheses|

* Ancient astronauts
* Aestivation hypothesis
* Cosmic pluralism
* Directed panspermia
* Drake equation
* Extraterrestrial hypothesis
* Fermi paradox
* Great Filter
* Hypothetical types of biochemistry
* Interplanetary contamination
* Kardashev scale
* Mediocrity principle
* Neocatastrophism
* Panspermia
* Planetarium hypothesis
* Rare Earth hypothesis
* Zoo hypothesis

Related topics|

* Astrobiology
* Astroecology
* Biosignature
* Brookings Report
* Planetary protection
* Potential cultural impact of extraterrestrial contact
* Exotheology
* Extraterrestrials in fiction
* Extremophile
* Nexus for Exoplanet System Science
* Noogenesis
* San Marino Scale
* Technosignature
* UFO religion
* Xenoarchaeology

* v
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NASAPlanetary Missions Program Office|Planetary Missions Program Office]]

Discovery program

| Missions|

| Main|

* NEAR Shoemaker
* Mars Pathfinder
* Lunar Prospector
* Stardust
* Genesis
* CONTOUR†
* MESSENGER
* Deep Impact
* Dawn
* Kepler
* GRAIL
* InSight
* Lucy
* Psyche

|

Opportunity - instruments|

* ASPERA-3 (on Mars Express)
* Moon Mineralogy Mapper (on Chandrayaan-1)
* Strofio (on BepiColombo MPO)
* MEGANE (on Martian Moons Exploration)

Opportunity - retasking|

* EPOXI
* NExT

Proposals|

| Finalists|

* Mission 12
* Comet Hopper
* Titan Mare Explorer
* Mission 13 and 14
* DAVINCI
* NEOCam
* VERITAS

|

Candidates|

* Enceladus Life Finder
* Icebreaker Life
* Io Volcano Observer
* ISOCHRON
* JET
* LIFE
* MANTIS
* Mars Geyser Hopper
* Moon Diver
* PADME
* Phobos Surveyor
* Trident
* Whipple

New Frontiers program

| Missions|

| Main|

* New Horizons
* Juno
* OSIRIS-REx
* Dragonfly

|

Proposals|

| Finalists|

* Mission 2
* MoonRise
* Mission 3
* MoonRise
* SAGE
* Mission 4
* CAESAR

|

Candidates|

* CONDOR
* CORSAIR
* ELF
* ELSAH
* Oceanus (Titan orbiter)
* SPRITE
* VICI
* VISAGE
* VOX

Concepts|

* Camilla
* FIRE
* Io Volcano Observer
* New Horizons 2
* Oceanus (Uranus orbiter)
* Saturn Atmospheric Entry Probe
* THEO
* Venus In Situ Explorer

Solar System Exploration program

| Missions|

| Main|

* DART
* Europa Clipper

|

Opportunity - instruments|

* UVS (on JUICE)

* Green titles indicates active current missions
* Italics indicate missions yet to launch
* Symbol † indicates failure en route or before intended mission data returned

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Spacecraft missions to Saturn

Past|

| Flybys|

* Pioneer 11
* Voyager 1
* Voyager 2

|

Orbiters|

* Cassini–Huygens
* timeline
* retirement

Landers|

* Huygens (on Titan)

Planned|

* Dragonfly (to Titan, 2026)

Proposed|

| to Saturn and rings|

* Kronos
* Saturn Atmospheric Entry Probe
* SPRITE
* Titan Saturn System Mission

|

to Enceladus|

* Enceladus Life Finder
* Enceladus Explorer
* Life Investigation For Enceladus

to Titan|

* AVIATR
* Oceanus
* TALISE
* Titan Mare Explorer

to several moons|

* Explorer of Enceladus and Titan
* Journey to Enceladus and Titan

* There are no ongoing missions to Saturn

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Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enceladus Life Signatures and Habitability. Read more

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