NASA Discovers Abundant Water and Carbon in Sample from Asteroid Bennu
Houston, TX – The US space agency NASA announced on Wednesday that a sample of material collected from the surface of the near-Earth asteroid Bennu contains abundant water and carbon. The findings provide further support for the theory that life on Earth was seeded from outer space.
The sample was collected by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, which returned to Earth last month after gathering material from Bennu. The sealed capsule containing the sample was opened for the first time, offering scientists a glimpse of its contents.
NASA administrator Bill Nelson described the sample as the largest carbon-rich asteroid sample ever returned to Earth. Carbon accounted for nearly 5 percent of the sample’s total weight and was present in both organic and mineral form. Water, on the other hand, was found locked inside the crystal structure of clay minerals.
The preliminary analysis of the sample involved various methods such as electron microscopy and X-ray computed tomography. These initial results suggest the potential for further discoveries that could support the hypothesis that early Earth was seeded with the ingredients for life by celestial objects like asteroids and comets.
NASA noted that the rocks and dust from Bennu will be studied for decades to come, providing insights into the formation of our solar system, the origins of life on Earth, and measures to prevent asteroid collisions with our planet.
NASA scientist Daniel Glavin called the sample an “astrobiologist’s dream,” emphasizing the abundance of organics found in the material.
The Osiris-REx spacecraft embarked on a seven-year roundtrip to Bennu, reaching the asteroid in 2018. After nearly two years of orbiting, the spacecraft collected the sample from the surface in October 2020 using its robotic arm.
Although attendees at the press event were only able to view photos and videos of the samples, the images displayed showed a cluster of charcoal-colored rocks, pebbles, and dust found in the outer part of the sample storage canister. Technicians are currently disassembling the canister to access the bulk of the specimen.
In addition to carbon and water, scientists also discovered iron minerals in the sample, suggesting a formation in a water-rich environment.
Bennu, discovered in 1999, is described as a loose clump of rocky material held together by gravity. Its relatively unchanged chemistry and mineralogy since its formation make it a valuable source of information about the early solar system and potentially significant for astrobiology research.
In the coming months, the asteroid sample will be distributed among 200 scientists in 60 laboratories worldwide for further study.