NASA unveils asteroid sample that holds clues to the universe

  • NASA
  • World

'A whole treasure chest of extraterrestrial material' is still waiting to be studied, said one scientist working on the mission, as Sangita Lal reports

Nasa hopes evidence of the creation of Earth could be present in a 4.5-billion-year-old asteroid as the agency showcased samples collected from it in space.

The US space agency said on Wednesday that early tests of materials collected from the Bennu asteroid as part of the Osiris-Rex mission showed evidence of high-carbon content and water.

“It’s been going slow and meticulous, but the science is already starting,” said the mission’s lead scientist, Dante Lauretta, during an event at Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The samples were collected three years ago from the surface of Bennu and then dropped off in a sealed container into the Utah dessert last month.

Scientists have found evidence of both carbon and water in initial analysis of the material in the external part of the container. Credit: AP

While the main sample chamber is yet to be opened, black dust and particles were pictured scattered around the outside edge of the internal sample chamber.

"A whole treasure chest of extraterrestrial material” is still waiting to be studied, Dr Lauretta added.

The asteroid rubble holds water in the form of water-bearing clay minerals, which he explained is "how we think water got to the Earth."

"Minerals like we’re seeing from Bennu landed on Earth 4 billion years ago to 4.5 billion years ago, making our world habitable,” he added.

In this image from video released by Nasa, the Osiris-Rex spacecraft touches the surface of asteroid Bennu on October 20, 2020 Credit: Nasa via AP/PA

One of the primary reasons for the seven-year mission was to help understand how the solar system was formed.

The age of asteroid Bennu means the formation is remnant of our early solar system and scientists believe it can help shed light on how planets formed and evolved.

Once the samples are archived, the team will share out particles to researchers around the world, while saving a fair amount for future analysis when better technology should be available.

Following the mission, Sir Brian May gushed over the "immense pride" he felt for his involvement in selecting the location for collecting rocks in the Bennu mission.

The Queen guitarist - who earned a PhD in astrophysics from Imperial College London in 2007 - helped to identify a shortlist of sites on the asteroid where the capsule could land.

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