科学认识的重大转变正在重新定义人类对太阳系冰冷卫星的理解。曾被视为荒芜之地的冰月如今被证实为拥有广阔地下液态水海洋的"海洋世界"，这一发现为寻找地外生命开辟了新的可能性。1
根据多个航天任务的观测，已有6个冰月被确认拥有地下液态水海洋：木星的欧罗巴、木卫三、木卫四以及土星的土卫二、土卫六、土卫一。1Voyager、Galileo和Cassini三个探测任务在这一认识转变中发挥了关键作用。1其中，Cassini探测器在2008年穿过土卫二的水柱直接采样了其海洋，提供了有力的证据。1
除已确认的冰月外，科学家还在继续扩大搜索范围。土卫四、冥王星、天卫一、天卫三、海卫一和天卫四等也被列为潜在的海洋世界候选名单。1值得注意的是，Mimas在2024年被认定拥有海洋世界身份，成为最新且最为意外的发现。1
深空探测计划正在加紧推进。欧罗巴Clipper探测器预计2031年到达欧罗巴，Dragonfly探测器则预计2034年登陆土卫六。1科学家在选择探测目标时制定了明确的优先条件：水与岩石的接触、数十亿年的悠久海洋历史、年轻的表面地貌（表明内部仍在活跃）、放射性岩石提供的热量以及喷流现象的存在。1
Scientific understanding of the solar system's icy moons has undergone a dramatic transformation, shifting from viewing them as barren wastelands to recognizing them as potential "ocean worlds" harboring subsurface liquid water.1 Six moons have been confirmed to possess vast underground oceans: Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto orbiting Jupiter, along with Enceladus, Titan, and Mimas orbiting Saturn.1 This paradigm shift has been driven by data from three landmark space missions—Voyager, Galileo, and Cassini—which fundamentally altered our comprehension of these distant celestial bodies.1
Several upcoming missions promise to deepen exploration of these worlds. The Europa Clipper spacecraft is expected to reach Europa by 2031,1 while the Dragonfly probe is scheduled to land on Titan in 2034.1 One particularly striking scientific breakthrough occurred when Cassini flew directly through a water plume erupting from Enceladus in 2008, allowing researchers to sample its ocean directly.1 Mimas represents the most recent and unexpected discovery, only being recognized as an ocean world in 2024.1
Beyond these confirmed ocean worlds, additional candidates remain under investigation, including Rhea, Pluto, and several moons of Uranus—Ariel, Oberon, and Titania—as well as Neptune's Triton.1 Scientists have identified key criteria for prioritizing exploration targets: direct contact between water and rock, oceans that have persisted for billions of years, geologically young surfaces indicating internal activity, heat generation from radioactive rock decay, and the presence of visible water plumes.1
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