Scientists from NASA and other institutions analyzing the Bennu asteroid sample, which returned to Earth last September, have discovered molecules, including amino acids, that are essential components of life. According to a NASA press release, the sample also contains "evidence of an ancient environment well-suited to kickstart the chemistry of life."

The findings, published in the journals *Nature* and *Nature Astronomy*, do not confirm extraterrestrial life. However, they reinforce the idea that the conditions necessary for life’s emergence were widespread across the early solar system. The discoveries also support theories suggesting that amino acids needed for life on Earth may have originated elsewhere, potentially increasing the possibility of life forming on other planets and moons.

NASA scientists publishing in *Nature Astronomy* identified 14 of the 20 amino acids used in protein formation on Earth, along with the five nucleobases crucial for DNA and RNA creation. Additionally, they found an abundance of ammonia and formaldehyde, which under the right conditions, can react to form complex organic molecules such as amino acids.

Another study, published in *Nature*, presents evidence that these conditions may have existed. Researchers from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington and the Natural History Museum in London detected 11 minerals, including calcite, halite, and sylvite. These findings suggest the presence of saltwater on the 4.5-billion-year-old asteroid from which Bennu originated, potentially facilitating the interactions necessary for life’s building blocks to form.

NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, launched on September 8, 2016, reached the near-Earth asteroid Bennu on December 3, 2018. After nearly two years of studying Bennu, the spacecraft successfully collected a sample on October 20, 2020. The sample was sealed in a protective capsule and returned to Earth, where it was successfully retrieved on September 24, 2023.

These groundbreaking discoveries provide valuable insights into the chemistry of the early solar system and the potential for life beyond Earth. As scientists continue to analyze the Bennu sample, further revelations about the origins of life may emerge, deepening our understanding of the universe and our place within it.