NASA has revealed a pristine asteroid sample that could potentially serve as a time capsule from the early days of our solar system. The sample, collected from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission, contains rocks and dust that contain water and a significant amount of carbon. According to NASA administrator Bill Nelson, this suggests that asteroids may have delivered the building blocks of life to Earth. The sample is nearly 5% carbon by weight, making it one of the highest concentrations of carbon ever studied in an asteroid.
The sample, which arrived on Earth in a capsule on September 24, is the largest asteroid sample ever returned to Earth. Scientists have been conducting an early analysis of the material, which has exceeded their expectations in terms of the amount collected. So far, the analysis has revealed water in the form of hydrated clay minerals and carbon in the form of minerals and organic molecules. There were also other minerals found that could be important for organic evolution.
The team is particularly excited about the detection of organic matter and a wealth of carbon, which are crucial elements for life. They believe that studying the chemistry of Bennu could provide insights into how the building blocks of life created peptides, which are chains of amino acids that form proteins.
Although the initial analysis has been promising, there is still a “treasure chest” of material waiting to be examined. The sample analysis will continue for the next two years at a dedicated clean room inside NASA’s Johnson Space Center. The sample will also be divided and sent to laboratories around the world for further study.
The OSIRIS-REx mission has been in the making for seven years and has been eagerly anticipated by scientists. This sample could potentially reveal the history of how Bennu formed and evolved over time, as well as its overall composition. The insights gained from studying the sample could also help NASA determine how to deflect the asteroid if it has a chance of impacting Earth in the future.
The remaining 70% of the sample will be stored for future generations with better technology to study. This will ensure that even more can be learned from this precious gift from the cosmos.
Scientists are hopeful that this sample analysis will provide some progress in understanding the origins of life and why we exist in the universe. The rocks and soil collected from Bennu hold the key to unraveling one of the greatest mysteries of all time.