Osiris-Rex Mission: Asteroid Bennu Unveils Insights into Our Ancient Origins

NASA's Osiris-Rex capsule is set to reenter Earth's atmosphere on Sunday, traveling at speeds over 15 times faster than a rifle bullet. Despite creating a fireball in the sky, the descent will be slowed using a heat shield and parachutes, leading to a gentle touchdown in Utah's West Desert. The capsule carries a valuable cargo: a collection of dust collected from asteroid Bennu. This asteroid, which is mountain-sized, holds the potential to answer profound questions about our origins. Professor Dante Lauretta, the principal investigator on the mission, explains that the material collected from Bennu existed before our planet and may even contain grains that existed before our Solar System. Scientists aim to determine how Earth formed and why it became a habitable world. They are particularly interested in understanding where the oceans and the air in our atmosphere originated, as well as identifying the source of the organic molecules that make up all life on Earth. The prevailing theory suggests that many of these essential components were delivered to Earth through a rain of impacting asteroids, potentially similar to Bennu. Engineers have made the final adjustments to the Osiris-Rex spacecraft's trajectory, and the decision to release the capsule for its descent to Earth is pending. The quest to collect fragments of Bennu began in 2016 when NASA launched the Osiris-Rex probe towards the 1,640 ft wide asteroid. It took two years to reach Bennu and an additional two years to map its surface before the mission team could identify a safe location to gather a sample. The selection process involved the expertise of British rock legend and astrophysicist Dr. Brian May, who used his skills in stereo imaging to assess the terrain and determine the safest approach. The most extraordinary moment of the mission occurred on October 20, 2020, when Osiris-Rex successfully collected the sample from Bennu. By lowering itself and using a grabbing mechanism on a 10-ft boom, the spacecraft made contact with the asteroid's surface, causing it to part like a fluid. The subsequent release of nitrogen gas created a blast that formed an 8-meter diameter crater on the asteroid. Material from the surface was flung into all directions, including the collection chamber. After a seven-year, seven-billion-kilometer round trip, Osiris-Rex is now hours away from delivering the Bennu sample. Once on the ground, the capsule will be transported to the Johnson Space Center in Texas, where a dedicated cleanroom has been constructed for sample analysis. Dr. Ashley King from London's Natural History Museum will be part of the initial analysis team. He emphasizes the importance of conducting precise measurements in their early examination of the asteroid sample. Bennu is considered one of the most dangerous rocks in the Solar System in terms of its potential to impact Earth. However, the probability of such an event occurring is very low. Bennu likely contains a significant amount of water, and scientists will compare the hydrogen atom ratios in Bennu's water with those found in Earth's oceans. This could provide evidence for the theory that asteroids played a crucial role in supplying water to Earth. The asteroid also contains a significant amount of carbon, which is of particular interest since organic chemistry forms the basis of life on Earth. Scientists hope to analyze the carbon-based molecules present in the sample to expand their understanding of the exogenous delivery hypothesis, which suggests that asteroids provided the building blocks of life. The analysis of the Bennu sample will provide valuable insights into our origins and deepen our understanding of the potential sources of essential components for life.