"Proposed Mission Aims to Unlock the Secrets of Enceladus"
The Astrobiology eXploration at Enceladus (AXE) mission is a proposed orbital mission to Saturn's moon Enceladus, which is considered a prime candidate for hosting life. The mission aims to investigate the presence of biological signatures, study the moon's thermal equilibrium, understand the formation of water plumes, and assess the moon's geological activity. AXE would take approximately 9 years to reach Saturn and another year to enter a close orbit around Enceladus, requiring multiple flybys to gather data. While other mission proposals exist, the scientific community agrees that Enceladus is worth exploring further.