Chemical components reputed to foster life were detected in a piece of asteroid retrieved by a NASA spacecraft and delivered to our planet.
Life-Forming Molecules Discovered in Asteroid Sample
NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft has successfully delivered a sample from asteroid Bennu to Earth, and subsequent analysis reveals the presence of key ingredients for life. The study of these samples sheds light on our understanding of the solar system's early history and the potential for life beyond Earth.
The samples, delivered in October 2023 after being collected in 2020, show the presence of chemical compounds that are building blocks of life on Earth. These compounds include amino acids - 14 of the 20 essential for protein production on Earth - and all five nucleobases that life uses for genetic storage and transmission.
Moreover, the research indicates a history of saltwater on the asteroid, an environment that could have promoted interactions among these essential compounds. However, the findings do not imply the existence of life itself. Rather, they suggest that conditions necessary for life were widespread in the early solar system.
The discoveries support the notion that life could have emerged elsewhere in the solar system. "These results increase the likelihood of life outside Earth," says Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
Asteroids serve as primordial leftovers from the formation of the solar system, offering insights into its early history. As they often get contaminated when passing through Earth's atmosphere, sending a spacecraft to capture a pristine sample ensures a more pure sample for analysis, which was the case with OSIRIS-REx.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, scientists have made groundbreaking discoveries that rewrite our understanding of the solar system's early history. "NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission is already changing what we know about the beginnings of our Solar System," says Fox.
The results were published in the journals Nature and Nature Astronomy on January 29, 2025. Notably, the samples indicate the presence of water-rich clay and evaporites, minerals formed by the evaporation of water from a rock's surface, which are significant because they are prone to dissolving in moisture and have not been found in meteorites[1][5].
The discoveries emphasize the importance of studying asteroids like Bennu to gain insights into the early solar system and the potential for life beyond Earth. "Data from OSIRIS-REx adds major brushstrokes to a picture of a solar system teeming with the potential for life," says Jason Dworkin, OSIRIS-REx project scientist at NASA Goddard.
[1] "Asteroids and Meteorites: Our teaspoons of history" (https://www.nasa.gov/feature/asteroids-and-meteorites-our-teaspoons-of-history)[2] "NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft captures sample from asteroid Bennu" (https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-s-osiris-rex-spacecraft-captures-sample-from-asteroid-bennu)[3] "Asteroid Bennu: the cosmic time capsule" (https://www.nasa.gov/feature/asteroid-bennu-the-cosmic-time-capsule)[4] "Bennu's Orbital History: A Lost World?" (https://www.nasa.gov/feature/bennus-orbital-history-a-lost-world)[5] "Asteroid Samples reveal extraterrestrial clay minerals" (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-023-01779-9)
- The findings from the OSIRIS-REx mission, which delivered a sample from asteroid Bennu to Earth, support the hypothesis that life could have emerged within the solar system, as the sample contains key life-forming molecules like amino acids and nucleobases.
- The study of space-and-astronomy, particularly asteroids like Bennu, is crucial for understanding the early history of the solar system and the potential for life beyond Earth, as these celestial bodies offer insights into the formation of our solar system and the presence of life-forming molecules.
