NASA’s OSIRIS-REx probe has brought back rocks and soil collected from the asteroid Bennu, which contain carbon and water-bearing clay minerals dating back to the birth of the solar system. This discovery provides valuable insights into the formation of our planet and supports theories about how water arrived on Earth in the distant past.
The clay minerals found in the samples have water locked inside their crystal structure, according to Dante Lauretta, a planetary scientist at the University of Arizona and the principal investigator of the mission. Lauretta emphasized the significance of this finding, stating that it explains how water may have reached Earth and made it habitable.
The OSIRIS-REx sample return capsule landed in Utah on September 24, revealing unexpected bonus material. Instead of the estimated half-pound of material trapped inside the capsule, scientists found dust and small fragments from Bennu scattered about. Despite the surprise, researchers were thrilled with the initial examination of the material, describing it as “scientific treasure.”
Examination of the samples has already started in an environmentally isolated laboratory at the Texas space center. Preliminary analysis using an electron microscope has revealed water-bearing clay minerals, sulfides, and high concentrations of carbon. Sulfides are considered critical for planetary evolution and biology, playing a vital role in the formation of amino acids.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson expressed excitement over the captured Bennu samples, as they represent the largest carbon-rich asteroid sample ever returned to Earth. He highlighted the importance of carbon and water molecules in understanding the formation of our planet and the potential for the origin of life.
Once the TAGSAM (touch-and-go sample acquisition mechanism) is opened, the entire sample will be categorized, with about 25% reserved for study by the OSIRIS-REx team. The Canadian Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency will also receive a portion of the sample for further analysis.
Equipped with advanced instruments, cameras, and spectrometers, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft and sample return capsule were launched in 2016 and reached Bennu in late 2018. The mission aims to study the composition and evolution of asteroids to better understand the birth of the solar system and the origins of Earth’s water and potential impacts on our planet.
Overall, the successful return of samples from Bennu provides scientists with a wealth of material to study and deepens our understanding of the formation of Earth and the solar system.