NASA successfully retrieved approximately 4 ounces (120 grams) of material from the asteroid Bennu, exceeding their initial expectations. This sample, collected by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, is believed to contain some of the earliest ingredients necessary for life. It marks the first time NASA has obtained material from a “potentially hazardous” asteroid.
Upon landing in the Utah desert on September 24, 2023, the OSIRIS-REx capsule was transported to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston for analysis. Disassembling the capsule proved challenging due to two stuck fasteners, initially resulting in the collection of only about 2.48 ounces (70.3 grams) of sample on the lid of the canister. However, after developing specialized tools, scientists managed to open the remaining clasps and retrieve an additional 1.81 ounces (51.2 grams) of material from inside.
The OSIRIS-REx mission, which launched in September 2016, traveled 200 million miles (320 million kilometers) to reach Bennu and returned to Earth with the sample in May 2021. After nearly two years of searching for a suitable landing site, the spacecraft successfully touched down on Bennu’s rugged surface, deploying a burst of nitrogen to secure the landing and prevent sinking.
The contents of the capsule include rocks dating back approximately 4.5 billion years, originating from the early stages of the solar system. These samples also contain fundamental elements thought to have contributed to the emergence of life on Earth. Similar biological building blocks, such as uracil, have been discovered on the asteroid Ryugu by Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft, further fueling hopes of finding similar precursors within the Bennu sample.
