NASA’s Osiris-Rex mission made history in 2023 by bringing back material from the asteroid Bennu. The spacecraft collected 122 grams of dust and small rocks—the largest sample ever returned from beyond the moon. Scientists found amino acids, ammonia, and nitrogen-rich compounds in the material. These discoveries support the idea that asteroids may have helped start life on Earth. They also found sodium-rich minerals, suggesting that Bennu’s parent asteroid once had underground salty water. These findings help scientists learn about early solar system chemistry and how Earth became a place where life could exist.

One of the most exciting discoveries is the presence of delicate salt formations. Normally, these get destroyed when meteorites enter Earth’s atmosphere. Scientists say these fragile structures remained intact because they were carefully collected and preserved in space. The mix of organic molecules and salty minerals gives new clues about the building blocks of life. More research is needed, but this could change the understanding of organic material in space. NASA has stored most samples for future study, while China plans its own asteroid mission. Scientists are also interested in exploring Ceres and Europa.