NASA has announced that the sample collected from the asteroid Bennu by its OSIRIS-REx spacecraft contains carbon and water, which are key ingredients for life. The sample, which was returned to Earth on September 24, 2023, is the largest and most pristine asteroid material ever delivered to our planet.
OSIRIS-REx mission overview
OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security–Regolith Explorer) was launched in 2016 with the goal of studying the near-Earth asteroid Bennu, which is about 500 meters in diameter and orbits the Sun every 1.2 years. Bennu is a carbon-rich asteroid that is believed to be a remnant of the early solar system, containing material that may have contributed to the origin of life on Earth.
The spacecraft reached Bennu in October 2020 and performed a series of maneuvers to map its surface and select a suitable landing site. On October 20, 2020, OSIRIS-REx touched down on Bennu for about six seconds and used a robotic arm to collect a sample of rocks and dust from the asteroid’s surface. The spacecraft then stored the sample in a capsule and began its journey back to Earth.
On September 24, 2023, the capsule separated from the spacecraft and entered Earth’s atmosphere at a speed of about 44,000 kilometers per hour. It deployed a parachute and landed safely at the Department of Defense’s Utah Test and Training Range near Dugway, Utah. The capsule was then transported to a specially constructed clean room at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where scientists opened it for the first time on October 11, 2023.
Carbon and water detected in sample
The initial analysis of the sample revealed that it contains both carbon and water, which are essential elements for life as we know it. The carbon compounds found in the sample could be organic molecules, which are the building blocks of living organisms. The water detected in the sample could be in the form of hydrated minerals, which are minerals that contain water molecules within their crystal structure.
These findings suggest that Bennu may have originated from a larger parent body that had liquid water and organic chemistry. The parent body may have been destroyed by collisions or other processes, leaving behind fragments like Bennu that preserved some of its original material.
The presence of carbon and water in the sample also implies that asteroids like Bennu could have delivered these elements to Earth in the past, possibly seeding our planet with the ingredients for life. Moreover, the sample could help scientists understand how asteroids evolve over time and how they pose a potential threat or opportunity for humanity.
Future studies of sample
The OSIRIS-REx sample is the largest asteroid sample ever returned to Earth, weighing about 250 grams. It is also the most pristine sample ever collected from space, as it has not been exposed to any contamination or alteration since it left Bennu. The sample will be studied for decades to come by researchers from around the world, who will use various techniques and instruments to unravel its secrets.
Some of the questions that scientists hope to answer with the sample are:
- What is the exact composition and structure of the carbon compounds and water in the sample?
- How did these compounds and water form and interact on Bennu’s parent body and on Bennu itself?
- What are the isotopic ratios of different elements in the sample, which can reveal information about the origin and history of Bennu and its parent body?
- How does Bennu compare to other asteroids and meteorites that have been studied before?
- What are the physical properties of Bennu’s surface material, such as its density, porosity, strength, and thermal conductivity?
- How does Bennu respond to external forces such as solar radiation, solar wind, micrometeoroid impacts, and gravitational interactions with other bodies?
The OSIRIS-REx mission has been a remarkable achievement for NASA and its partners, demonstrating the feasibility and value of asteroid exploration and sample return. The mission has also inspired millions of people around the world with its scientific discoveries and engineering challenges. The sample returned by OSIRIS-REx will continue to provide new insights into our solar system and our place in it for years to come.
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