NASA’s Bennu Asteroid Sample Reveals ‘Bouillon’ of Life’s Ingredients
January 29, 2025
A new analysis of samples from NASA’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission has revealed a treasure trove of organic compounds, including the building blocks of DNA and proteins, on the asteroid Bennu.
The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft collected a sample of Bennu’s surface material in October 2020 and returned it to Earth in September 2023. Scientists have been studying the sample ever since, using a variety of techniques to identify the minerals, organic compounds, and other materials it contains.
The latest analysis, published today in the journal Science, focuses on the organic compounds in the sample. The researchers found a wide variety of organic compounds, including amino acids, nucleobases, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These compounds are essential building blocks for life as we know it, and their presence on Bennu suggests that the asteroid could have played a role in the origin of life on Earth.
“We’ve found a treasure trove of organic compounds in the Bennu sample,” said Dante Lauretta, OSIRIS-REx principal investigator at the University of Arizona in Tucson. “These compounds are the building blocks of life, and their presence on Bennu tells us that they were likely present in the early solar system.”
The researchers say that the organic compounds on Bennu could have been delivered to Earth by meteorites and asteroids that impacted the planet early in its history. These organic compounds could have provided the raw materials for the first life forms on Earth.
“Our findings suggest that Bennu may have been a source of organic compounds for the early Earth,” said Lauretta. “This is an exciting discovery that could help us to understand the origin of life on our planet.”
In addition to the organic compounds, the researchers also found a variety of other materials in the Bennu sample, including minerals, metals, and salts. These materials provide important clues about the asteroid’s composition and history.
“The Bennu sample is a treasure trove of information about the early solar system,” said Lori Glaze, director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division. “We’re still learning about the sample, but it’s already providing us with new insights into the origin and evolution of our solar system.”
The OSIRIS-REx mission is a NASA Discovery mission that was launched in 2016. The mission’s goal is to study the asteroid Bennu and collect a sample of its surface material. The sample was returned to Earth in September 2023 and is currently being studied by scientists at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
Muestra de la NASA del asteroide Bennu revela un ‘caldo’ con los ingredientes de la vida
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