Mass Spectrometric Fingerprints of Bacteria and Archaea for Life Detection on Icy Moons.

The icy moons of the outer Solar System display evidence of subsurface liquid water and, therefore, potential habitability for life. Flybys of Saturn's moon Enceladus by the Cassini spacecraft have provided measurements of material from plumes that suggest hydrothermal activity and the presence of organic matter. Jupiter's moon Europa may have similar plumes and is the target for the forthcoming Europa Clipper mission that carries a high mass resolution and high sensitivity mass spectrometer, called the MAss Spectrometer for Planetary EXploration (MASPEX), with the capability for providing detailed characterization of any organic materials encountered.

Cassini finds molecular hydrogen in the Enceladus plume: Evidence for hydrothermal processes.

Saturn's moon Enceladus has an ice-covered ocean; a plume of material erupts from cracks in the ice. The plume contains chemical signatures of water-rock interaction between the ocean and a rocky core. We used the Ion Neutral Mass Spectrometer onboard the Cassini spacecraft to detect molecular hydrogen in the plume.