NASA scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery in the Bennu asteroid sample, which returned to Earth last September. The sample contains molecules, including amino acids, which are essential ingredients of life as we know it. The findings, published in research papers in the journals Nature and Nature Astronomy, confirm that the conditions necessary for the emergence of life were widespread across the early solar system.

The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft launched in 2016 and spent almost two years studying the near-Earth asteroid Bennu before touching down and grabbing a sample in 2020. The sample was sealed in a protective capsule and sent back to Earth, where it was successfully retrieved in 2023. Since then, scientists have been analyzing the sample, and their research has revealed 14 of the 20 amino acids used to make proteins by life on Earth, including the five nucleobases essential for the creation of DNA and RNA.

The discovery of these amino acids is significant because it increases the odds that life could have formed on other planets and moons. NASA's team also found an abundance of ammonia and formaldehyde, which, in the right conditions, react together to form complex molecules like amino acids. This suggests that the conditions necessary for life to emerge may have occurred on the asteroid Bennu, or its parent asteroid, which is estimated to be around 4.5 billion years old.

Further analysis of the sample revealed evidence of an ancient environment well-suited to kickstart the chemistry of life. Scientists from the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington and the Natural History Museum in London found traces of 11 minerals, including calcite, halite, and sylvite, indicating a history of saltwater on the asteroid. This could have helped the ingredients of life to interact and combine, potentially leading to the emergence of life.

The implications of this discovery are far-reaching, as it suggests that the building blocks of life are more widespread in the solar system than previously thought. This increases the likelihood of finding life elsewhere in the universe, and could have significant implications for the search for extraterrestrial life. While the discovery does not confirm the existence of extraterrestrial life, it does provide strong evidence that the conditions necessary for life to emerge are common in the early solar system.

The OSIRIS-REx mission has provided a significant breakthrough in our understanding of the origins of life, and the discovery of amino acids in the Bennu asteroid sample is a major milestone in the search for life beyond Earth. As scientists continue to analyze the sample and learn more about the conditions necessary for life to emerge, we may be one step closer to answering one of humanity's most fundamental questions: are we alone in the universe?