NASA reveals historic asteroid sample containing building blocks of life

Posted On: October 11, 2023

Sofia Benavides

(CNN) – NASA has finally revealed a pristine asteroid sample that could serve as a time capsule dating back to the earliest days of our solar system.

The rocks and dust contain water and a large amount of carbon, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said, suggesting that asteroids like Bennu may have brought the building blocks of life to Earth. The sample contains almost 5% carbon by weight.

“The first analysis gives us samples that contain a lot of water in the form of hydrated clay minerals and contain carbon both in the form of minerals and organic molecules,” Nelson said. “Far exceeding our goal of 60 grams, this is the largest carbon-rich asteroid sample ever returned to Earth. Carbon and water molecules are exactly the types of materials we wanted to find. These are crucial elements in the formation of our own planet. And they will help us determine the origin of the elements that could have given rise to life.

The sample from the 4.5 billion-year-old asteroid “Bennu”, collected in October 2020 by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission, arrived on Earth in a capsule on September 24, descended from the spacecraft space and landed in the Utah desert.

A view of the exterior of the OSIRIS-REx sample collector containing material from the asteroid Bennu is visible at center right. Scientists found traces of carbon and water during initial analysis of this material. Most of the exhibition is located indoors. (Erika Blumenfeld and Joseph Aebersold/NASA)

Since then, scientists have been working hard to study the wealth of material (more than expected) just inside the top of the container for early analysis. The results of that analysis and the first look at the sample were shared Wednesday during a NASA livestream from the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. This is the largest asteroid sample returned to Earth.

When the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft made a close approach to Bennu three years ago, it deployed a Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism, or TAGSAM, toward the asteroid and fired an explosion of nitrogen gas. The gas explosion threw rocks and dust 50 centimeters below the surface of the space rock. This debris headed towards the head of TAGSAM.

TAGSAM also had 24 surface contact platforms that touched the asteroid and trapped fine-grained material.

Together, dust and rocks collected from Bennu’s surface and interior could reveal the history of the asteroid’s formation and evolution over time. This information will also provide a better understanding of the overall composition of the space rock, which could help NASA determine how it might deflect the asteroid, which could impact Earth in the future.

Scientists Open Sample From Asteroid Bennu, Discover ‘The Best Problem’

The long-awaited reveal has been seven years in the making, from the launch of the OSIRIS-REx mission in 2016 to the capsule’s landing last month. Some waited even longer for this moment. OSIRIS-REx principal investigator Dante Lauretta, who helped develop the mission early on, waited nearly 20 years to see the sample and get the information it could reveal about our solar system.

Scientists will analyze the rocks and soil over the next two years in a dedicated clean room at the Johnson Space Center. The sample will also be split and sent to laboratories around the world, including OSIRIS-REx mission partners the Canadian Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. About 70% of the sample will remain intact in storage so that future generations with better technology can learn even more than is possible today.