NASA says sugars crucial for life found in sample from Bennu, dubbed 'Space gum'

The near-Earth asteroid Bennu, a carbon-rich space rock, continues to provide scientists with critical insights into the origins of life in our solar system. More than two years ago, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft returned samples from Bennus surface, giving researchers a rare opportunity to study pristine asteroid material directly.

Analysis of the samples has revealed remarkable findings. Scientists have detected sugars essential to life, such as ribose and, for the first time, glucose. Ribose is a key component of RNA, while glucose serves as a primary energy source for living organisms, suggesting that essential life-building compounds were present in the early solar system.

Researchers at NASA's Johnson Space Center also examined presolar grainsdust older than our solar systemfound within Bennus material. This supernova dust sheds light on Bennus parent body, which likely formed in the protoplanetary disk of gas and dust surrounding young stars.

One of the most unusual discoveries is a substance NASA has dubbed "space gum." This soft, pliable material, unlike anything previously observed in asteroid samples, likely formed during the infancy of our solar system. Composed of polymer-like molecules rich in nitrogen and oxygen, the material could have played a role in sparking life on Earth.

Finding these compounds in Bennus pristine samples is a major step for understanding how life could emerge and whether it may exist elsewhere, NASA said.

The OSIRIS-REx mission, which launched in 2016, collected the samples from Bennu in 2020 and delivered them to Earth in September 2023. The spacecraft has since been renamed OSIRIS-APEX and redirected to study asteroid Apophis during a close approach in 2029, further contributing to planetary defense research.

Analysis: New Findings from Bennu Shed Light on Life’s Origins

The recent discoveries from the OSIRIS-REx mission are a significant step forward in understanding the origins of life in our solar system. The asteroid Bennu, a carbon-rich space rock, continues to yield crucial insights into the building blocks that may have been present in the early solar system. The analysis of samples returned from Bennu’s surface has provided groundbreaking revelations about the types of compounds that could have played a role in the emergence of life on Earth.

Among the most notable findings is the detection of ribose and glucose. Ribose, a fundamental component of RNA, and glucose, a key energy source, suggest that the ingredients necessary for life were likely abundant in the solar system’s infancy. These sugars, along with the discovery of presolar grains, reinforce the idea that complex molecules essential for life may have been widespread long before Earth even formed.

Perhaps the most intriguing discovery is the substance dubbed "space gum." This pliable, nitrogen- and oxygen-rich material is unlike anything previously encountered in asteroid samples. Its unique chemical composition may have contributed to the formation of life’s precursors on Earth, further emphasizing the importance of studying asteroids as time capsules from the early solar system.

As the OSIRIS-REx mission transitions to studying asteroid Apophis, the research will likely continue to yield important data that can help answer key questions about planetary defense and the potential for life elsewhere in the universe. The findings from Bennu will undoubtedly influence future space exploration, as they open new avenues for understanding the chemistry and conditions that might allow life to thrive on distant planets.

Sources:

• 'Space gum,' sugars crucial for life found on Bennu sample, NASA says