Editing Space colonization (section)

=====Enceladus=====
The small moon Enceladus is also of interest, having a subsurface ocean that is separated from the surface by only tens of meters of ice at the south pole, compared to kilometers of ice separating the ocean from the surface on Europa. Volatile and organic compounds are present there, and the moon's high density for an ice world (1.6&nbsp;g/cm<sup>3</sup>) indicates that its core is rich in silicates.<ref name=UTSaturn>{{cite web |url=https://www.universetoday.com/132413/colonize-saturns-moons/ |title=How do we Colonize Saturns' Moons |last=Williams |first=Matt |date=22 December 2016 |website=[[Universe Today]] |access-date=22 August 2021}}</ref>

On 9 March 2006, [[NASA]]'s ''[[Cassini–Huygens|Cassini]]'' space probe found possible evidence of liquid water on [[Enceladus]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://spacenews.com/nasas-cassini-discovers-potential-liquid-water-on-enceladus/ |title=NASA's Cassini Discovers Potential Liquid Water on Enceladus |publisher=Space News|date=9 March 2006 |access-date=16 April 2025}}</ref> According to that article, "pockets of liquid water may be no more than tens of meters below the surface." These findings were confirmed in 2014 by NASA. This means liquid water could be collected much more easily and safely on Enceladus than, for instance, on Europa (see above). Discovery of water, especially liquid water, generally makes a celestial body a much more likely candidate for colonization. An alternative model of Enceladus's activity is the decomposition of methane/water [[clathrate]]s – a process requiring lower temperatures than liquid water eruptions. The higher density of Enceladus indicates a larger than Saturnian average silicate core that could provide materials for base operations.