Sample from asteroid Bennu contains water and carbon – 10/11/2023 – Science

Initial studies of the sample from the asteroid Bennu collected in space and brought to Earth at the end of September indicate the presence of water and high carbon content, NASA (American space agency) announced this Wednesday (11), at an event at the Space Center Johnson, Texas.

The asteroid is around 4.5 billion years old, the same age as the solar system, and the analysis of its compounds is expected to give clues as to how our planet and its neighbors were formed.

“As we examine the ancient secrets preserved in the dust and rocks of the asteroid Bennu, we are unlocking a time capsule that offers us deep insights into the origins of our solar system,” said Dante Lauretta, principal investigator for Osiris-Rex, an acronym for Sources Explorer, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Regolith Security.

According to Lauretta, the abundance of carbon-rich material and the presence of water-bearing clay minerals are just the “tip of the cosmic iceberg.”

“These discoveries, made possible by years of dedicated collaboration and cutting-edge science, propel us on a journey to understand not only our celestial neighborhood, but also the potential for the beginning of life. With each Bennu reveal, we are closer to unlocking the mysteries of our cosmic heritage”, said the researcher.

NASA administrator, former senator Bill Nelson reinforced that studying the material will help scientists investigate the origins of life on the planet.

“Missions like Osiris-Rex will improve our understanding of asteroids that could threaten Earth, while also giving us a glimpse of what lies beyond. The sample has returned to Earth, but there is still a lot of science to come – science like never before we’ve seen it before,” he commented.

Although more work is needed to understand the nature of the carbon compounds found in the material, the initial discovery is considered a good indication for current analyses, which bring together more than 200 scientists from around the world, and future ones.

“The secrets stored in the asteroid’s rocks and dust will be studied for decades to come, offering insights into how our solar system was formed, how life-precursor materials may have arisen on Earth, and what precautions need to be taken to avoid asteroid collisions.” with our planet”, says NASA.

The Osiris-Rex mission began seven years ago. Launched in September 2016 on an Atlas 5 rocket, the probe arrived at Bennu in 2018 and landed to collect samples in October 2020.

According to NASA, the procedure proved to be quite efficient, easily exceeding the minimum objective of 60 grams of material collected, and part of the sample will be reserved for future research. A portion will also be loaned in the coming months for public display.