Pakistani scientist discovers more ingredients for life in ocean on Saturn’s moon

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A Pakistan-born scientist has made headlines in the global scientific community after finding complex organic molecules beneath the icy surface of Enceladus, one of Saturn’s moons — a breakthrough which is meant to bring humanity one step closer to finding life beyond Earth. 

The discovery was made by Dr. Nozair Khawaja, a Pakistani-German astrobiologist at Freie Universität Berlin, whose research was published on October 1 in the prestigious journal Nature Astronomy.

His findings are highly based on data gathered by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, which spent over a decade exploring Saturn and its moons before concluding its mission in 2017. 

Clues Hidden in Ice Grains 

Dr. Khawaja’s team examined tiny ice grains ejected from Enceladus’s south polar geysers — jets of vapor and ice that shoot into space from a vast ocean hidden beneath the moon’s frozen crust.

Their analysis unveiled life-supporting organic molecules such as 

• ethers 

• esters 

• alkenes 

• aromatic compounds

“We found various kinds of organic molecules containing oxygen bridges and carbon bonds,” Dr. Khawaja explained. “These are called intermediates in reactions that can lead to more complex molecules — the kind required for life.” 

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He emphasized that while such compounds can form through non-biological processes, their presence reveals that Enceladus’s subsurface ocean could have the right chemical environment to support life. 

A Promising World Beneath the Ice 

Scientists keep on believing life requires liquid water, an energy source, and essential elements — all of which Enceladus appears to possess. Cassini’s instruments detected phosphates, one of the six building blocks of life, along with signs of hydrothermal activity on the ocean floor — similar to Earth’s deep-sea vents, where life thrives in total darkness. 

“These organic samples were collected minutes after ejection,” Dr. Khawaja noted. “They weren’t altered by space radiation, confirming they arrived straight from the moon’s ocean.” 

While life on Enceladus remains unconfirmed, Dr. Khawaja’s findings make it one of the most promising candidates for extraterrestrial life in our solar system. 

Originally from Wazirabad, Punjab, Dr. Khawaja earned his Master’s degree in Astronomy from Punjab University before pursuing a PhD in Geosciences from Heidelberg University, Germany. His groundbreaking work continues to encourage young Pakistani scientists to look up — and wonder what lies beyond.