The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft returned a total of 4.29 ounces (121.6 grams) of material from asteroid Bennu, which is over double the initial target of 2.12 ounces (60 grams). The samples were carefully encased in chemically inert nitrogen to avoid contamination during retrieval. Initial studies have revealed evidence of both carbon and water in the sample, indicating that the building blocks of life may be found within it.
Analysis of the Sample
French researchers at CNRS-CRHEA are using a newly improvised method of cathodoluminescence to analyze various crystalline substrates and identify minerals within the sample. They have identified iron oxide, sulfides, manganese, magnesium, silicate serpentines, and other fragments that suggest Bennu was once rife with water. Some mineral fragments could even be older than the solar system itself.