2023-10-11 16:48:29
The largest asteroid fragment, brought back by the Osiris-Rex probe, ever collected in space contains water, carbon, a sulfide – very important for biology and amino acids – as well as magnetite . Elements that can catalyze biological processes and bring life to Earth.
NASA, in addition to showing this meteor sample, revealed the first analyzes of its composition, impatiently awaited by scientists around the world: carbon, water and other elements essential to life as we do. know on Earth.
>> NASA’s live press conference:
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The mission Osiris-Rex had taken this sample in 2020 from the asteroid Bennu, and the capsule containing the precious cargo successfully returned to Earth just over two weeks ago, on September 24, landing in a Utah desert.
Since then, the meticulous process of opening the capsule has taken place in a clean room at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. And the operation has already held some surprises: “There is so much material that it is taking us longer than expected to recover it,” said Christopher Snead, scientist at NASA. But this is “the best problem we can have”, he added in a press release.
>> A flap that doesn’t close, plus dust:
Around the main container, black dust coming from the asteroid Bennu: approximately one and a half grams. The white square in the left image is enlarged in the right image. [capture d’écran – NASA TV]
At the time of the live broadcast, the main container had not yet been able to be opened because of this abundance outside the collection compartment, said Eileen Stansbery, chief scientist at the Johnson Space Center. But the US Space Agency showed different images (see below).
At least 250 grams of material
Before the capsule landed, the US space agency estimated it had managed to pick up around 250 grams of material from the asteroid Bennu – far more than two previous Japanese missions to other asteroids.
>> A view through an electron microscope:
Black dust from the asteroid Bennu seen under an electron microscope: top left, a mineral that contains water. Top right, a sulfide, very important for biology and amino acids. At the bottom, magnetite and iron oxide: they can catalyze biological processes. [Capture d’écran – NASA TV]
>> Read: The Hayabusa-2 probe brings back samples from the asteroid Ryugu
Such a maneuver was a first for NASA. The echoes so far might not have been more positive, because material was found “in abundance” even outside the collection compartment, explained Christopher Snead: “It’s really spectacular.”
>> The precious black dust:
Differences particles brought back from Bennu by the Osiris-Rex probe. Image E shows that there are likely two types of rocks on the asteroid, with this one being larger. This was found outside the main container. [Capture d’écran – NASA TV]
>> Read: “Black dust” found at the opening of the Osiris-Rex capsule
The happy surprise can be explained by an incident that occurred when the sample was collected: just following the operation, NASA realized that the flap of the collection compartment was unable to close.
The cargo had managed to be secured by being transferred as planned into the capsule but, because of this leak, scientists expected that residue would be found outside the compartment, in the box where it had been place.
An inventory of minerals observed
This “black dust” and “debris,” in NASA’s words, was given to a rapid analysis team to get a first idea of Bennu’s composition. The sample is screened using a scanning electron microscope, x-ray diffraction, and infrared measurements.
>> Extraterrestrial carbon:
Extraterrestrial carbon taken from Bennu: seen in natural light (left) and ultraviolet light (right): “organic globules” are revealed in white, which delighted scientists. [Capture d’écran – NASA TV]
This should make it possible to obtain an inventory of the minerals observed, and perhaps to determine their proportion. The first analyzes – notably using an electron microscope – show that Bennu contains hydrated minerals, carbon with “organic globules” and also a sulfide, very important for biology and amino acids, as well as magnetite and iron oxide. Elements that can catalyze biological processes.
The study of asteroids should allow scientists to better understand the formation of the Solar System and how the Earth became habitable. Asteroids like Bennu might have brought to Earth the compounds that subsequently allowed the birth of life, some scientists believe.
For future generations
The majority of the sample – kept in pristine condition, free of any terrestrial contamination – will be preserved to be studied by future generations, with new, more efficient instruments and to answer new scientific questions. This is what was done for the lunar rocks brought back during the Apollo program.
Bennu’s analysis might also prove useful in the future. There is a small chance – a one in 2700 chance – that the asteroid will hit Earth in 2182, a collision that would be catastrophic. Knowing its exact composition might thus help, if necessary one day, to calculate the impact necessary to deviate its trajectory.
The asteroid Bennu photographed from the Osiris-Rex probe before the maneuver to recover a sample of this space body. [NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona/CSA/York – Keystone/MDA via AP]
Stéphanie Jaquet and the agencies
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