NASA's OSIRIS-REx Study of Asteroid Bennu Reveals Evidence of Carbon-Rich Material and Water-Bearing Clay Minerals

Thursday - October 12 2023, 01:08 UTC - 1 year ago

The 4.5-billion-year-old asteroid Bennu sample was recently carried to Earth by NASA and showcased. NASA researchers have confirmed the sample contained the basic building blocks for life. The mission's science team will continue characterizing the samples and performing the analyses required to achieve the mission's scientific objectives.

Early examinations of the 4.5-billion-year-old asteroid Bennu sample carried to earth by NASA reveal evidence of carbon-rich material and water-bearing clay minerals, according to a report by the space agency published on Wednesday. The asteroid material was showcased for the first time since it landed on our precious planet in September by NASA scientists at the Johnson Space Centre in Houston and the experts were now able to confirm it contained the basic building blocks for life.

NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission .

NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission was intended to explore the near-earth asteroid Bennu. The abbreviation "OSIRIS-REx" stands for "Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer." The major objective of the mission was to gather a sample of material from Bennu's surface and bring it back to Earth for scientific examination.

"The OSIRIS-REx sample is the biggest carbon-rich asteroid sample ever delivered to earth and will help scientists investigate the origins of life on our own planet for generations to come," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.

"Almost everything we do at NASA seeks to answer questions about who we are and where we come from. NASA missions like OSIRIS-REx will improve our understanding of asteroids that could threaten earth while giving us a glimpse into what lies beyond. The sample has made it back to earth, but there is still so much science to come – science like we’ve never seen before." .

The mission's science team will continue characterizing the samples and performing the analyses required to achieve the mission's scientific objectives during the ensuing two years. At least 70 percent of the sample will be preserved by NASA at Johnson for use in future research by experts all over the world.

Collected with a robotic arm .

Using a robotic arm equipped with a sample collection device, OSIRIS-REx successfully gathered a sample from Bennu's surface in October 2020. The sample was kept in a container until it was eventually brought back to earth.

It is anticipated that the examination of the returning sample will reveal new information on the organic substances found on Bennu, the possible contribution of asteroids like Bennu to the supply of water and organics to earth, and on the creation and development of our solar system.

"As we peer into the ancient secrets preserved within the dust and rocks of asteroid Bennu, we are unlocking a time capsule that offers us profound insights into the origins of our solar system," said Dante Lauretta, OSIRIS-REx principal investigator, University of Arizona, Tucson.

For the development of planetary defense measures, research on objects like Bennu that are close to earth is absolutely essential. Creating solutions to lessen the threat posed by potentially dangerous asteroids requires a thorough understanding of their orbits and compositions and NASA has been preparing for this mission for a long time.

"Our labs were ready for whatever Bennu had in store for us," said Vanessa Wyche, director, NASA Johnson.