Scientists working with NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission are moving deeper into laboratory analysis of material returned from asteroid Bennu, after initial examinations confirmed the presence of carbon and water-bearing (hydrated) minerals in the samples. The findings strengthen researchers’ ability to study how primitive asteroids formed and how key ingredients for life may have been distributed through the early solar system.
The mission delivered its sample capsule to Earth in 2023, and teams have since been cataloging, protecting, and distributing portions of the material for specialized testing. NASA said early studies identified abundant carbon and minerals that formed in the presence of water, giving laboratories a rare, well-preserved window into ancient chemistry that cannot be replicated with meteorites altered by Earth’s atmosphere and environment.
Beyond planetary science, the work is expected to support broader research into organic chemistry and the pathways that can lead to complex molecules. NASA and its partners plan additional peer-reviewed studies as more of the Bennu material is processed and as sample allocations expand to researchers worldwide.
Source: https://www.nasa.gov/