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Title: Astrobiological Research Priorities for Titan
Primary Author: Mark Allen
Secondary Author(s): Carrie Anderson, Andrew Coates, A. James Friedson, Murthy Gudipati, Kostas Kalogerakis, Ralph Lorenz, Jonathan Lunine, Catherine Neish, Conor Nixon, Lucy Norman
Institution: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Date: September 14, 2009
Summary: Titan, the haze-enshrouded moon of Saturn, has the largest accessible inventory of organic molecules in the Solar System outside of the Earth. The prospects are high for the formation of prebiotic compounds not unlike what might have preceded the origin of life in the early history of the Earth.
Panel Selection: Satellites: Galilean satellites, Titan, and the other satellites of the giant planets.
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These documents have been prepared in coordination with the National Academies of Science in support of the National Academies Planetary Science Decadal Survey. These documents are being made available for information purposes only, and any views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of NASA, JPL, or the California Institute of Technology.