The findings come from the work of space scientists at Imperial College London, UCL, Open University, University of Oxford and Queen Mary’s University of London.

“While it’s no surprise that there is water there, these short-lived ions are extra evidence for sub-surface water and where there’s water, carbon and energy, some of the major ingredients for life are present,” said lead author Andrew Coates from University College London’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory.

These revelations add to our growing knowledge about the detailed chemistry of the atmospheres on Saturn’s moons Titan and Enceladus: giving new understanding of environments beyond Earth where life-sustaining environments might exist.

Early in its mission, Cassini discovered the plume of water, which jets water vapour and ice particles above Enceladus. Since then, scientists have found that these water products dominate Saturn’s magnetic environment and create Saturn’s huge E-ring.

The Cassini plasma spectrometer is operated by UK teams who gather and interpret surface data such as the density, flow velocity and temperature of ions and electrons that enter the instrument.

Cassini was launched in 1997 and reached Saturn in 2004. The study’s findings are based on analysis from data taken in fly-throughs in 2008.

The Cassini-Huygens mission is a joint project between NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency.

For more information on the Cassini Mission, please visit the Cassini mission page and NASA website (link opens in a new window).

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