Saturnian Moon Shows Evidence of Ammonia

Data collected during two close flybys of Saturn's moon Enceladus by NASA's Cassini spacecraft add more fuel to the fire about the Saturnian ice world containing sub-surface liquid water. The data collected by Cassini's Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer during Enceladus flybys in July and Oct. 2008, were released in the July 23 issue of the journal Nature.

"When Cassini flew through the plume erupting from Enceladus on October 8 of last year, our spectrometer was able to sniff out many complex chemicals, including organic ones, in the vapor and icy particles," said Hunter Waite, the Cassini Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer Lead Scientist from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas. "One of the chemicals definitively identified was ammonia."

On Earth, the presence of ammonia means the potential for sparkling clean floors and counter tops. In space, the presence of ammonia provides strong evidence for the existence of at least some liquid water.

Workshop Description: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Headquarters, Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) is preparing an addition to ROA-2009, NNH09ZEA001N (this is announced under NNH09ZEA001N-1). In keeping with the current structure of the ROA NRA, ARMD plans to amend the NRA with the detailed requirements to solicit proposals for the "Subsonic Fixed Wing N+2 Advanced Low NOx Combustor Technologies". We are conducting this workshop to share information on the technologies of interest and expectations, and to seek input from the broad aeronautics community to refine the solicitation - which is expected be released one week after the pre-solicitation workshop.