Space

NASA Reveals First Look at Bennu Asteroid Sample

At a Glance

The 4.5-billion-year-old sample dropped to Earth in a protective capsule last month.
Scientists are still unpacking the main sample.

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NASA gave a first look Wednesday at what came back to Earth with the 4.5-billion-year-old Bennu asteroid sample, and said the sample could contain the building blocks of life on Earth.

The sample from Bennu was retrieved three years ago by NASA's Osiris-Rex spacecraft and dropped to Earth in a special capsule that landed in the Utah desert on Sept. 24. In the days after, the capsule was moved to Johnson Space Center in Houston, where scientists have slowly been unpacking it.

So far, they haven't opened the main sample chamber. But the outside of it was speckled with black dust and particles that were able to be analyzed right away. Scientists have determined that those contain evidence of high carbon and water.

This photo provided by NASA on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023 shows the outside of the Osiris-Rex sample collector with material from asteroid Bennu at middle right. Scientists have found evidence of both carbon and water in initial analysis of this material. The bulk of the sample is located inside. (Erika Blumenfeld, Joseph Aebersold/NASA via AP — This photo provided by NASA on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023 shows the outside of the Osiris-Rex sample collector with material from asteroid Bennu at middle right. Scientists have found evidence of both carbon and water in initial analysis of this material. The bulk of the sample is located inside.
(Erika Blumenfeld, Joseph Aebersold/NASA via AP)

What Bennu Found

"Already, this is scientific treasure," Dante Lauretta, the mission's lead scientist, said.

“As we peer into the ancient secrets preserved within the dust and rocks of asteroid Bennu, we are unlocking a time capsule that offers us profound insights into the origins of our solar system."

Lauretta called the initial findings "just the tip of the cosmic iceberg."

The capsule and the contents examined so far were shown on video Wednesday morning.

The bits and pieces on the outside of the chamber are the result of overflow when the sample was packed into the capsule by Osiris-Rex.

What's Next For The Bennu Sample

The next step will be retrieving the actual sample from the chamber. Some of it will be pieced out to researchers around the world, while at least 70% will be preserved at Johnson for future research.

“We’ve had scientists and engineers working side-by-side for years to develop specialized gloveboxes and tools to keep the asteroid material pristine and to curate the samples so researchers now and decades from now can study this precious gift from the cosmos," said Vanessa Wyche, director at NASA Johnson.

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Weather.com reporter Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.

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