NASA finds water and carbon molecules on asteroid Bennu

Sample of material brought to Earth from Bennu, A asteroid It is 4.5 billion years old and contains molecules Water and high carbon contentAs announced this week by the US space agency NASA.

Initial inspection provided ample evidence of both elements, which may indicate the presence Essential components of life on Earthto.

some 250 grams of the extracted material From Benno “He.” Larger sample to Carbon-rich asteroid “It was brought to Earth and will help scientists search for the origins of life on our planet,” the NASA director said. Bill Nelson.

NASA mission name Osiris RexIt collected debris materials from the asteroid Bennu, and the vehicle that transported it to Earth landed on September 24 in Utah.

Dante LaurettaThe principal investigator of the Osiris-Rex mission at the University of Arizona noted the presence of carbon-rich materials and Clay minerals “The water content leads us to understand not only our celestial neighborhood but also the possibility of the beginning of life.”

This is the first time NASA has brought it Asteroid samples to Earth. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) was able to recover the remains of the asteroid In 2020but it was the minimum, not more A teaspoon of powder And rocks.

“Almost everything we do at NASA seeks answers to questions about… about us And Where we come fromNelson added.

“Missions like OSIRIS-REx will improve our knowledge of asteroids that could threaten Earth, while giving us a glimpse into what might lie beyond them,” he said.

NASA experts were at the Johnson Space Center in Texas Carefully separate the fragments They found rocky material not only inside the capsule but on the outside, around the lid and at the bottom.

Vanessa VecchiThe director of the Johnson Center explained that scientists and engineers “worked for years to develop specialized gloves and tools to keep the asteroid material pure.”

Scientists have taken up their work Scan images Electron microscopy, as well as measurements using… Infrared light, X-ray diffractionAnd you analysed Chemical elements.

A. was also used CT scan s Computerized production a A 3D model of a molecule Which highlights its diverse interior design.

Scientists chose Bennu because it is relative Rich in organic molecules Moreover, it contains Known orbitThis made it easier for the Osiris-Rex mother ship to approach to take samples.

Bennu, which was discovered in 1999, is thought to have formed from fragments of a much larger asteroid After the collision. It is half a kilometer wide, and its rough black surface is full of large boulders.

The $1.2 billion Osiris-Rex mission included a rocket launch Space ship in September 2016 The spacecraft began orbiting Bennu in December 2018.

In October 2020 Osiris Rex landed on Bennu The probe drilled into the surface of the asteroid and collected the samples that the probe brought to Earth.