Scientists have found many organic molecules, including major building blocks of life, in a sample collected from distant asteroids.

Surprising discoveries suggest that the chemical components required for life may have spread throughout the early solar system.

NASA’s OSIRIS-REX SPACECRAFT was launched in 2016, gathering material from asteroids, dust, soil, and rocks, and returned them to Earth in 2023.

Analysis of the asteroid materials revealed in a sample published in Journal Nature shows that Earth’s life contains key organic compounds and amino acids.

Researchers did not find evidence of life on Bennu, but the results reinforce the theory that asteroids colliding with Earth may have provided life’s necessary ingredients.

NASA’s Scientific Mission Bureau stated that the OSIRIS-REX mission has already reshaped our understanding of life’s building blocks in the solar system.

The untouched samples collected from asteroids provide unique insights into the early solar system, unlike meteorites that may be contaminated.

The Bennu sample contains surprising concentrations of ammonia, an essential ingredient in biological processes.

Samples from Bennu also contain traces of minerals that are likely remnants of evaporated brine, suggesting complex compositions on the asteroid.

These discoveries on Bennu provide valuable insights into the complex composition of minerals and organic compounds that may have influenced the development of life in the solar system.

Further research is needed to fully grasp the implications of the Bennu samples for our understanding of life’s origins on Earth and other celestial bodies.

“Exploring the unique composition of Bennu and its implications for the emergence of life is a fascinating field of study that could shed light on the mysteries of life on Earth and beyond,” said Jason Dworkin, an OSIS-REX project scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.