2023-10-13 13:45:01
The first analyzes of samples from the asteroid Bennu collected there and brought to Earth by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx space probe reveal the presence of water and carbon compounds. This could indicate the existence on Bennu of the ingredients necessary for life.
This finding is part of the results of a preliminary evaluation of the samples carried out by the NASA OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security – Regolith Explorer) scientific team.
Although many more analyzes will have to be carried out to delve sufficiently into the nature of the compounds found, this initial discovery bodes well for future research on the asteroid samples. The secrets contained in the stones and dust of the 4.5 billion-year-old asteroid will be unraveled and studied for decades and will allow us to better understand how our solar system and others were formed, how the precursor materials were “seeded” on Earth of life and what precautions must be taken to avoid the collision of asteroids with our planet.
The goal of sample collection was to collect 60 grams of asteroidal material. Experts at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, working in new clean rooms (rooms suitable for handling material that must be kept isolated from any source of contamination) built especially for the mission, spent 10 days carefully disassembling the sample return hardware before being able to take a look at the collected material. When the canister lid was first opened, scientists discovered extra asteroid material covering the outside of the collector head, canister lid, and base. There was so much extra material that it slowed down the careful process of extracting and containing the primary sample.
Opening of the Bennu sample container in a NASA laboratory specially prepared to work with extraterrestrial material. (Photo: NASA)
“Our laboratories were prepared for what Bennu could throw at us,” said Vanessa Wyche, director of the Johnson Space Center. “We have had scientists and engineers working side by side for years to develop specialized vessels and tools to keep the asteroid material pristine and preserve the samples so that researchers now and decades from now can study this precious gift from the cosmos. “
In the first two weeks, scientists performed “rapid” analyzes of the samples, took microscopic photos of them using a scanning electron microscope, performed infrared and X-ray diffraction measurements, and carried out analyzes of chemical elements. X-ray computed tomography was also used to produce a 3D digital model of one of the particles, highlighting its very colorful interior. This first look has provided evidence of the abundance of water and carbon compounds in the sample.
Dante Lauretta, principal investigator of OSIRIS-REx at the University of Arizona in Tucson, United States, says: “As we delve into the secrets of the distant past preserved in the dust and stones of the asteroid Bennu, we are revealing the contents of “A time capsule that offers us revealing new insights into the origins of our solar system. The abundance of carbon-rich material and water-bearing clay minerals are just the tip of the cosmic iceberg.”
Over the next two years, the mission science team will continue to characterize the samples and perform the analyzes necessary to meet the mission’s scientific objectives. NASA will preserve at least 70 percent of the samples at the Johnson Space Center, so that scientists around the world, including those of future generations, will continue investigating the Bennu material. (Source: NCYT from Amazings)
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