NASAWe’re about to get one step closer to ‘future ocean world exploration’ as NASA announces new findings from its Cassini spacecraft and Hubble Space Telescope this week.
The U.S space agency has called a press conference to talk about findings which can inform its upcoming Europa Clipper mission in 2020.
The agency said the eagerly awaited discoveries will aid ‘the broader search for life beyond Earth’.
NASA - Titan in front of Saturn's ringsThere is speculation that the event, which will be presented by several members of the Cassini team, will provide a revelation about Jupiter’s sixth closest moon, Europa, ahead of the 2020 mission.
It could also shed light on Enceladus, the sixth-largest moon of Saturn.
Europa is of particular interest because it has an ocean lying beneath its surface, making it one of the most likely places in the solar system for life to thrive.
The 1,900 mile wide moon has the potential to have more liquid water than Earth underneath its icy outer layer.
The Cassini mission took place 12 years ago when the Cassini probe captured the most detailed images of Saturn, and its companion Huygens was sent to investigate Titan.
Titan, with its lakes and clouds of liquid hydrocarbons, is the only other known place in the solar system with an active weather cycle where rainfall erodes the landscape.
The event will be live streamed and will include input from the world’s leading experts in the search for alien life.
NASA - Europa Mission Spacecraft (Artist's Concept)Whatever it is, we’re very excited if recent announcements of water on Mars and an entire potentially habitable solar system near ours is anything to go by.
The briefing will take place at 2pm EDT on Thursday April 13 at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
