Facts about Bennu Asteroid Sample Return

1. 06

   Bennu's surface gravity is so weak that OSIRIS-REx had to use a touch-and-go sample collection maneuver lasting only seconds to avoid sinking into the loose regolith.

   Bennu Asteroid Sample ReturnJun 8sharespacecraftgravitysampling
2. 05

   Carbon and nitrogen-rich organic molecules found in the Bennu sample confirmed that asteroids could have seeded early Earth with the chemical building blocks of life.

   Bennu Asteroid Sample ReturnJun 6shareastrobiologychemistryorigins
3. 04

   The OSIRIS-REx mission's sample from Bennu contained water-bearing clay minerals, supporting the hypothesis that asteroids delivered water to early Earth.

   Bennu Asteroid Sample ReturnJun 6shareastrobiologygeologyexploration
4. 03

   During its approach to Bennu, OSIRIS-REx discovered that the asteroid's surface was covered in large boulders rather than the fine sandy material scientists had anticipated.

   Bennu Asteroid Sample ReturnJun 6sharespaceexplorationgeology
5. 02

   Asteroid Bennu is a carbon-rich near-Earth asteroid, making its samples particularly valuable for studying the organic chemistry of the early solar system.

   Bennu Asteroid Sample ReturnJun 6shareasteroidchemistryplanetary-science
6. 01

   NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft successfully returned a sample capsule from asteroid Bennu to Earth in September 2023, delivering over 70 grams of material.

   Bennu Asteroid Sample ReturnJun 6sharespaceexplorationgeology