Can life exist on moon of Saturn?

WASHINGTON - An ice-encrusted moon orbiting Saturn appears to have the conditions necessary for life, NASA has announced, unveiling new findings made by its unmanned Cassini spacecraft.

Cassini has detected hydrogen molecules in vapor plumes emanating from cracks in the surface of Enceladus, a small ocean moon coated in a thick layer of ice, the US space agency said on Thursday.

The plumes have led scientists to infer that hydrothermal chemical reactions between the moon's rocky core and its ocean-located under the ice - are likely occurring on Enceladus.