NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston has unveiled the OSIRIS-REx sample catalog, marking the first time scientists outside of the immediate OSIRIS-REx team can closely examine the asteroid Bennu samples. Delivered to Earth just six months ago, these samples are now available for independent research, offering unprecedented insights into the origins of our solar system.
The OSIRIS-REx mission, which successfully collected 4.29 ounces (121.6 grams) of material from asteroid 101955 Bennu, has provided the largest asteroid sample ever brought back to Earth. This significant achievement has exceeded the mission’s initial mass requirement by more than double, sparking excitement among scientists worldwide.
Jemma Davidson, branch chief of Astromaterials Acquisition and Curation Office at Johnson, highlighted the importance of this development. “This is exciting because, until this point, really nobody outside of the curation or mission teams has had a chance to see the Bennu samples in detail,” Davidson stated.
The catalog features comprehensive details of the small rocks and dust collected from Bennu, including images, weights, and descriptions. This opens a wealth of opportunities for scientists globally to request specific samples for their research, provided they submit a well-justified scientific proposal outlining their study plans and objectives.
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Initial analyses of the Bennu samples by members of the OSIRIS-REx sample analysis team have revealed organic molecules and minerals bearing phosphorous and water. These findings suggest that the building blocks for life as we know it may be present in these extraterrestrial materials.
The ARES curation website offers a detailed guide for submitting proposals, with a deadline set for 5 p.m. CDT on June 25, 2024. This will be the only chance to request samples in 2024, although there will be opportunities in subsequent years.
Davidson praised the curation team’s effort in making the sample catalog available to the scientific community within such a short timeframe. “Building this sample catalog and making it available to the scientific community within six months of those samples coming back is a phenomenal achievement,” she said.
The release of the Bennu samples for global research marks a significant milestone for the OSIRIS-REx mission and the broader scientific community, offering potential breakthroughs in our understanding of the universe’s formation and the possibility of life beyond Earth.
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