A NASA mission has uncovered molecules crucial for life on Earth, including amino acids and nucleobases, found in samples from asteroid Bennu. These findings suggest the solar system once contained all the ingredients needed for life to emerge, raising questions about how life on other planets or moons might have formed. The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft delivered these samples back to Earth, allowing scientists to study their composition and identify compounds essential for biological processes.
The discovery of amino acids in Bennu samples is particularly significant because they are the building blocks of proteins, which are vital for life. Additionally, high levels of ammonia were found alongside all five nucleobases, molecules that store genetic information critical for DNA and RNA. These findings complement previous identifications in similar materials, supporting the idea that life’s precursors might have been abundant in the solar system’s early days.
However, the precise origins of these molecules remain unclear. For instance, while some amino acids are almost exclusively produced on Earth in a left-handed form, the Bennu samples show an equal mix of left- and right-handed versions. This raises questions about how life as we know it developed on Earth alone, with no life elsewhere in the solar system yet confirmed.
The OSIRIS-REx mission has provided critical data that adds to our understanding of the potential for life in the solar system. Its success underscores the importance of studying ancient materials to answer questions about the origins of life and the broader implications for future exploration and discovery.
Source: https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasas-asteroid-bennu-sample-reveals-mix-of-lifes-ingredients