Saturn, the only planet in the solar system with prominent rings, has captivated astronomers with its unique features. Apart from the rings, the planet itself and its moons, particularly Titan, have become a subject of fascination.
The Cassini-Huygens mission was specifically designed to study Saturn. After traveling from Earth to Saturn, the double spacecraft arrived in 2004 and discovered seven new moons. The mission's main objective was to land on Titan, which happened on January 14, 2005.
The probe found that Titan's lakes and oceans were primarily composed of methane, a stark contrast to Earth's liquid water. Although unsuitable for human habitation, this discovery opened the possibility of finding different forms of life, such as silicon-based life, in Titan's lakes. Unfortunately, the Huygens probe lost contact after 90 minutes. The Cassini spacecraft continued to orbit Saturn for over 20 years before being purposely crashed into Saturn to avoid contaminating any potential life.
NASA and other countries plan to launch more distant planetary probes to explore Titan and other satellites of Saturn, in search of possible extraterrestrial life. The discovery of primitive microorganisms on Titan or other planets would suggest that the birth of life can occur elsewhere in the universe. With hundreds of satellites in the solar system and countless planets in the universe, the potential for alien life is vast, and human civilization is just one of the possibilities. The moons of Jupiter and Saturn, with each world representing a new realm of possibilities, will likely become the main focus of future astronomical discoveries.