NASA’s recent mission to asteroid Bennu has uncovered new details that may change how we understand the origins of life on Earth. Scientists say Bennu, a small, rocky object floating through space, might hold the same ingredients that once helped life begin here. The discovery was made after a NASA spacecraft brought back samples of the asteroid’s dust and rocks in late 2023. These samples are now being studied around the world, including in London, where researchers are sharing early findings that are both exciting and unexpected.
Space Dust Reveals Life’s Building Blocks
The OSIRIS-REx mission returned to Earth with about 120 grams of material from Bennu. Inside that tiny amount of space dust were big surprises. Scientists found things like ammonia, salts, amino acids, and the five basic nucleobases that make up DNA and RNA. These are the very ingredients needed to support life.
Professor Sara Russell from the Natural History Museum in London is one of the lead scientists analyzing the dust. “The diversity of molecules and minerals in these samples is like nothing we’ve seen before,” she said. “It shows how rich Bennu really is.”
A Water-Rich History
The material found in Bennu suggests it came from a much larger, water-rich body in the early solar system. This ancient object likely broke apart after a cosmic collision billions of years ago, and Bennu is one of its surviving pieces.
Scientists believe Bennu’s parent body once had underground lakes full of salty water. When the water dried up, it left behind crystals and minerals similar to those found on Earth. These salt compounds, combined with amino acids and nucleobases, could have played a key role in starting life.
“This doesn’t mean Bennu had life,” said Professor Russell. “But it might have carried the building blocks to Earth, where the conditions were just right for life to begin.”
Mars, Europa, and Titan: Next Stops in the Search
While Bennu is offering clues from the past, scientists are already looking ahead to other places that could hold answers. Future missions will explore Mars and the icy moons of Jupiter, like Europa and Titan. Two spacecraft are currently headed to Jupiter’s moons, and Europe’s Rosalind Franklin rover is set to land on Mars by 2029.
These missions will search for chemical markers, water, and other signs that life might have once existed—or may still exist—beyond Earth.
From Space Labs to Museum Exhibits
To help the public understand these discoveries, the Natural History Museum in London is preparing a new exhibit titled Space: Could Life Exist Beyond Earth? It will feature real samples from Bennu, moon rocks, meteorites older than Earth, and even Martian materials.
“When we first opened the capsule, we saw black dust with small white particles,” said Russell. “We thought it was contamination, but it turned out to be a phosphorus compound not seen in meteorites before. That element is critical to life.”
The museum hopes this exhibit will not only teach people about science but also get them thinking about bigger questions: Where did life come from? Are we alone? And how should we act if we find life somewhere else?
Chemical Signs on Distant Planets
Just last week, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope spotted unusual chemical signals on the distant planet K2-18b. The chemicals—DMS and DMDS—are linked to living organisms here on Earth. While the discovery isn’t proof of alien life, it raises hopes.
The hunt for life is now happening on many fronts: from asteroid samples under the microscope to telescopes scanning distant stars.
What Would We Do If We Found Life?
For many, the science is only one part of the puzzle. “If we ever do find life elsewhere, how would we treat it?” asked Sinead Marron, a senior exhibitions manager at the museum.
“Would we protect it, try to talk to it, or take resources from it? These are important questions for all of us. They make us think about how we treat life on Earth, too.”
The Bennu mission reminds us that our planet may not be the only place where life could exist. As science advances, so does our chance of finding answers to one of humanity’s oldest questions.