NASA's Historic Asteroid Samples: Clues to the Origin of Life Revealed

NASA's OSIRIS-REx probe has returned rocks and soil samples from the asteroid Bennu, revealing evidence of carbon and water-bearing clay minerals that date back to the birth of the solar system. The discovery provides crucial insight into the formation of Earth and supports theories about the arrival of water on our planet. The samples also contain sulfides, which are important for planetary evolution and biology. The captured Bennu samples represent the largest carbon-rich asteroid sample ever returned to Earth and will help scientists determine the origin of elements that could have led to life.