柏林自由大学的行星科学家近日在《科学进展》期刊发表两项研究，表明土卫二作为潜在生命栖息地的可能性超过此前认知 1。由弗赖大学柏林教授Frank Postberg和Dr. Nozair Khawaja领导的研究团队发现，这颗土星冰质卫星的冰羽中存在有利于生命存活的条件 1。
第一项研究揭示了土卫二冰羽中水滴的冻结机制 1。研究表明，这些水滴的冻结速度比预期缓慢，导致盐类和有机物在冻结过程中逐步分离并浓聚于各个冰粒中 1。当这些冰粒加速至时速1000公里后会碎裂成微米级颗粒 1，这一过程有助于未来航天器更容易检测到潜在的生命迹象 1。
第二项研究则从微生物的适应性角度进行了验证 1。实验中的甲烷生成考古菌在模拟土卫二海洋极端环境的条件下成功生长，在pH值达10-11的极端碱性和缺氧环境中存活 1。这表明即使在土卫二严苛的条件下，也可能存在可行的生命形式 1。
欧空局正规划L4任务，将专门针对土卫二搜寻生命迹象 1。此外，德国研究基金会资助的CRC 1759协作研究中心已于2026年7月启动，进一步推进相关研究 1。
Scientists from the Free University of Berlin have published two studies in Science Advances that reveal Enceladus may offer more favorable conditions for life than previously understood.1 The research, led by Professor Frank Postberg and Dr. Nozair Khawaja, examines both the chemical composition of the moon's icy plumes and the potential for microbial survival in its extreme ocean environment.1
The first study demonstrates that water droplets in Enceladus's ice plumes freeze more slowly than expected, causing salts and organic compounds to gradually separate and concentrate within individual ice particles.1 As these particles accelerate to speeds of 1,000 kilometers per hour, they fragment into micrometer-sized grains, which could make biosignatures easier for future spacecraft to detect.1 The second investigation found that methanogenic archaea—microorganisms that produce methane—can successfully thrive under simulated Enceladus ocean conditions, including extreme alkalinity with pH levels between 10 and 11.1 These discoveries suggest the moon's subsurface ocean, despite its harsh chemistry and oxygen-poor environment, may not be as inhospitable to life as previously thought.1
The European Space Agency is currently planning its L4 mission, which will be specifically designed to search for evidence of life on Enceladus.1 The research was supported by the Collaborative Research Center CRC 1759, funded by the German Research Foundation, which launched in July 2026.1
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