Samples received from Bennu Asteroid

The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) probe returned on Sept. 24 with an asteroid sample from Bennu. 

Researchers discovered Bennu, originally called 1999 RQ36, on Sept.11, 1999; nine-year-old Michael Puzio picked the name in 2013. The asteroid is approximately a third of a mile wide and has been part of the solar system for more than 4.5 billion years. The probe collected around 250 grams of this “relic” during the seven-year mission, making it the largest asteroid sample ever brought to Earth. 

The sample landed by parachute at the Department of Defense’s Utah Test and Training Range and reached NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston the following day for scientists to analyze. The spacecraft did not land but will continue on a new mission called OSIRIS-APEX, which will journey to the asteroid Apophis. 

Bennu is unique not only due to its age but also its contents. Rich with carbon and water, this asteroid may be the key to discovering the solar system’s origin and even life itself. The NASA website stated, “There is evidence that asteroids like Bennu delivered these compounds to Earth when they smashed into our planet billions of years ago when the conditions for life were starting to emerge.” The chemical analysis of the sample will help scientists understand what organic compounds existed at the beginning of the solar system and how they may have reached Earth. 

OSIRIS-REx principal investigator Dante Lauretta stated, “[The organic compounds in Bennu] are just the tip of the cosmic iceberg.” She claimed, “These discoveries, made possible through years of dedicated collaboration and cutting-edge science, propel us on a journey to understand not only our celestial neighborhood but also the potential for life’s beginnings.” NASA and other international space agencies will thoroughly study the samples from Bennu for the next two years. The Smithsonian will receive additional samples to put on display later this fall.

While the OSIRIS-REx mission represents a significant step forward in space exploration, many do not know about it. “I think less than one percent of students in this school know what just happened, even though it is one of the most significant missions done by NASA,” Wheaton High School sophomore Michael Armonda said. “Some classes should definitely mention [the mission]… maybe a teacher in a Physics class could make a project out of it.” 

However, there has been limited discussion about the mission in most Montgomery County Public schools. Wheaton teacher William Feasley said, “I don’t think a lot of adults know about it, so I’m assuming most students don’t know about it either.” Feasley has been trying to connect the OSIRIS-REx mission to his class and has offered a unique perspective. “I teach Advanced Placement government, so it’s kind of cool because a lot of this came from NASA which is a tax-funded program, so it’s kind of a cool way to talk about how governments can use expenditures,” Feasley said. 

You can learn more about the OSIRIS-REx mission here: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/osiris-rex/

Article Written by Varun Srinivasan of Wheaton High School

Photo Courtesy of Flickr