Science ❯ Space Exploration ❯ NASA Missions

OSIRIS-REx

Sample Return Missions Sample Analysis Sample Collection Asteroid Studies Sample Disassembly Sample Containment Sample Retrieval Asteroid Bennu

Bennu Samples Show Amino Acids Likely Formed in Icy, Radioactive Environments

Isotopic fingerprints from OSIRIS‑REx material point to chemistry in frozen, irradiated ice rather than water‑based reactions.

OSIRIS-REx Samples Show Bennu’s Presolar Stardust, Interstellar Organics, and Faster-Than-Expected Weathering