![]() According to Curt Niebur, a program scientist with the Cassini mission in Washington, DC, the conditions on Enceladus suggest that it is well-within the realm of possibility for life to have arisen in places other than Earth within our solar system. Despite its size, it is one of the few bodies in our solar system known to have water present. These slits form a “tiger stripe” pattern and emit a curtain of gas along a significant portion of the moon.Įnceladus is a small moon, measuring just 300 miles in diameter. Spilker is particularly confident that the mission will confirm the presence of heavier organics.Ĭassini will also examine the slits at the south pole of Enceladus to determine just how long the moon has been active. Researchers have already confirmed the presence of methane, but the recent descent will likely reveal a wide range of other organic compounds. These vents can support entire ecosystems at the bottom of Earth’s oceans, and if Cassini can confirm hydrothermal activity on Enceladus, scientists think there is a reasonable chance that life could exist there.Ĭassini has come closer to Enceladus than on its previous dive, but this was the farthest it has ventured into the massive geyser. This would prove that the inside of Enceladus is hydrothermally active, not unlike the deep-sea vents that emit heat from the center of the Earth. By taking samples of the gas and dust surrounding the moon, researchers will gain insight into whether or not the ingredients necessary to support life could exist this far out in the solar system.Īccording to Linda Spilker, the lead Cassini scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the mission sought to confirm that there was hydrogen present in the gas plume. In addition to the stunning images of the bizarre world, Cassini captured data about the moon’s chemical composition as well. Scientists calculated that the spacecraft would drop into the plume of ice and gas at a speed of 19,000 miles per hour, for a total of just 10 seconds. According to a report from the LA Times, Cassini recently sent back a collection of photos showing ghostly ice geysers erupting into space from the surface of Enceladus, spurring questions of the possibility of life on the distant moon.Ĭassini briefly dove deep into the atmosphere on Enceladus, passing through clouds of water droplets, organic molecules, and other compounds. When NASA’s Cassini space probe dove down towards Saturn’s strange moon Enceladus, scientists weren’t remotely ready for what they saw. Hewlett NASA scientists were shocked to learn that Enceladus is covered in active geysers, but does this mean that life exists on the tiny Saturn moon? Some will be replaced, but some may be used later on and refurbished.Wanda B. ![]() ![]() The Army has about 120,000 Humvees in its inventory, and the Marines have about 13,000. In the meantime, it’s still not certain what will become of the aging Humvee, which was a critical piece of equipment during the ground wars in Afghanistan and Iraq over the last decade. Will Lockheed or AM General actually file a protest? It’s not clear yet, and they haven’t announced any plans to do so, but they have stated they are considering it. The JLTV program would involve construction of 49,1000 vehicles for the Army, and 5,500 for the Marines. If it does, it could be a major setback for a program just getting off the ground, as there would be at least 100 days where the program is suspended as investigation into the protest is performed. Oshkosh will build the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle under the terms of the contract, which would be one of the biggest in Army history - and because of its size, the losers, which include industry giants like Lockheed Martin and Humvee builder AM General, may not be willing to go quietly into the night, and this could result in some headaches for the Army, according to a Defense News report.Īlthough the Army’s JLTV program expressed confidence that the competition was handled fairly and that they didn’t expect a protest to be filed, winner Oshkosh said because of the size and scope of the program they wouldn’t be surprised if it happened. Army’s famous Humvee fleet, and a major fight could be brewing because of it. has just scored an absolutely massive $30 billion contract to completely replace the U.S. has just beaten out Lockheed Martin and AM General to built the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle - and they’re not happy.
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