NASAs initial studies on the asteroid Bennu sample, brought to Earth, expose high-carbon material and water, hinting at prospective building blocks of life on Earth.” The OSIRIS-REx sample is the biggest carbon-rich asteroid sample ever provided to Earth and will help scientists examine the origins of life on our own planet for generations to come,” stated NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. Curation professionals at NASA Johnson, working in new tidy spaces constructed particularly for the mission, have spent 10 days so far carefully dismantling the sample return hardware to obtain a glance at the bulk sample within. NASA will protect at least 70% of the sample at Johnson for further research by scientists worldwide, including future generations of scientists. Curation for OSIRIS-REx, including processing the sample when it showed up on Earth, is taking place at NASA Johnson.
A view of the outside of the OSIRIS-REx sample collector. Sample material from asteroid Bennu can be seen on the middle.
” The OSIRIS-REx sample is the most significant carbon-rich asteroid sample ever provided to Earth and will help scientists examine the origins of life on our own planet for generations to come,” stated NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. The sample has actually made it back to Earth, but there is still so much science to come– science like weve never seen before.”
Further Analyses and Insights
More work is needed to comprehend the nature of the carbon compounds discovered, the preliminary discovery bodes well for future analyses of the asteroid sample. The tricks held within the rocks and dust from the asteroid will be studied for years to come, offering insights into how our solar system was formed, how the precursor materials to life might have been seeded in the world, and what precautions need to be required to prevent asteroid crashes with our home world.
NASA curation group members together with Lockheed Martin recovery experts search after the effective removal of the sample return canister lid. Credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz
Bonus Sample and Initial Analysis
The objective of the OSIRIS-REx sample collection was 60 grams of asteroid product. Curation professionals at NASA Johnson, working in new clean spaces built particularly for the mission, have invested 10 days so far thoroughly disassembling the sample return hardware to acquire a glance at the bulk sample within.
” Our labs were ready for whatever Bennu had in shop for us,” stated Vanessa Wyche, director, NASA Johnson. “Weve had researchers and engineers working side-by-side for years to develop specific gloveboxes and tools to keep the asteroid product beautiful and to curate the samples so researchers now and years from now can study this precious gift from the universes.”
NASAs OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return Mission. Credit: NASAs Goddard Space Flight
Within the first two weeks, researchers carried out “quick-look” analyses of that preliminary material, gathering images from a scanning electron microscope, infrared measurements, X-ray diffraction, and chemical element analysis. X-ray calculated tomography was also utilized to produce a 3D computer design of one of the particles, highlighting its diverse interior. This early look provided the proof of abundant carbon and water in the sample.
Ramifications and Future Investigations
” As we peer into the ancient secrets maintained within the dust and rocks of asteroid Bennu, we are unlocking a time pill that uses us extensive insights into the origins of our solar system,” said Dante Lauretta, OSIRIS-REx principal investigator, University of Arizona, Tucson. These discoveries, made possible through years of dedicated partnership and advanced science, propel us on a journey to comprehend not just our celestial neighborhood but also the capacity for lifes starts.
This mosaic of Bennu was developed utilizing observations made by NASAs OSIRIS-REx spacecraft that remained in close proximity to the asteroid for over two years. Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona
For the next 2 years, the missions science group will continue characterizing the samples and perform the analysis required to meet the missions science goals. NASA will protect at least 70% of the sample at Johnson for additional research study by researchers worldwide, including future generations of researchers.
Contributors and Mission Details
NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, offers general mission management, systems engineering, and the security and mission guarantee for OSIRIS-REx. Lauretta, the primary private investigator, leads the science team and the missions science observation planning and information processing. Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado, developed the spacecraft, offered flight operations, and was accountable for pill healing. Goddard and KinetX Aerospace was accountable for browsing the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. Curation for OSIRIS-REx, consisting of processing the sample when it got here on Earth, is occurring at NASA Johnson.
OSIRIS-REx is the third objective in NASAs New Frontiers Program, managed by NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
NASAs preliminary research studies on the asteroid Bennu sample, brought to Earth, expose high-carbon material and water, hinting at potential foundation of life in the world. Announced at the Johnson Space Center, this discovery belongs to the OSIRIS-REx objectives findings. The sample will be evaluated in the coming years to acquire insights into our planetary systems formation, lifes starts on Earth, and the potential for asteroid impacts. Credit: NASA
NASAs asteroid Bennu sample shows high-carbon content and water, recommending potential foundation for life in the world. This discovery, part of the OSIRIS-REx objective, will be studied for several years, using insights into the planetary system and lifes origins.
Initial research studies of the 4.5-billion-year-old asteroid Bennu sample collected in area and brought to Earth by NASA reveal proof of high-carbon content and water, which together could indicate the building blocks of life on Earth may be discovered in the rock. NASA made the news Wednesday from its Johnson Space Center in Houston where management and scientists revealed off the asteroid product for the very first time given that it landed in September.
This finding became part of a preliminary assessment of NASAs OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security– Regolith Explorer) science group.
