NASA has announced an extraordinary discovery from the sample of the asteroid Bennu, a 4.5 billion-year-old space rock. The sample, collected during the OSIRIS-REx mission, contains a significant amount of water and carbon. This discovery supports the theory that life on Earth may have originated from elements transported by asteroids from outer space.
Initial analysis of the sample revealed that almost 5% of the total weight of the sample was carbon, present in both organic and mineral forms. Furthermore, the water was encapsulated within the crystalline structure of clay minerals. Scientists believe that Earth’s oceans, lakes, and rivers formed due to water-carrying asteroid impacts between 4 billion and 4.5 billion years ago, creating the conditions for habitability on our planet.
This discovery is especially exciting for astrobiologists since carbon is essential for life on Earth, forming the bases of proteins, enzymes, and genetic material such as DNA and RNA.
The sample, approximately 250 grams in total, is the largest from a carbon-rich asteroid ever returned to Earth. Although Japan has also brought back asteroid samples in the past, the amount obtained on this mission significantly exceeds previous efforts. This achievement not only increases our understanding of the formation of the solar system but also raises the possibility of using this knowledge for future exploration and planetary defense strategies. NASA plans to preserve at least 70% of the sample for future research, marking a crucial milestone in space exploration and our search for answers about the origin of life and our place in the universe.