NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission returned to Earth at the end of September with samples from the 4.5 billion-year-old asteroid Bennu.
Now NASA scientists have revealed what they have discovered in the samples of this billion-year-old asteroid.
Bennu is an asteroid that is thought to be rich in carbon.
According to NASA, carbon as well as water have been detected in these samples and according to scientists this is a huge advance.
It should be noted that carbon and water are considered the basis of life on earth.
NASA official Bill Nelson said the samples from the OSIRIS-REx mission were rich in carbon and will help scientists investigate the origin of life on our planet.
It should be noted that through this mission, samples of a space rock of the solar system were obtained for the third time in history.
The mission was launched 7 years ago in 2016 and covered a total of 1.2 billion miles.
The spacecraft landed on the asteroid in October 2020 and began its return journey to Earth in May 2021.
According to NASA, the samples of the asteroid have already begun to be examined and will soon be made available to scientists from other regions of the world.
The statement released by the US space agency said that these samples will be researched for decades to come and will help to understand the secrets of the asteroid’s rocks and environment.
The statement added that it will help us understand how the solar system formed and how the elements needed for life arrived on Earth, while also knowing what steps we can take to protect our planet from asteroid collisions.