'10 million-year mystery': What NASA found when it cracked open a $1,000,000,000 asteroid

Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh

Asteroid Visit

In 2016, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx launched toward Bennu, a mysterious asteroid rich in secrets.

Credit: NASA

Landing Spot

After a two-year journey, the spacecraft scouted Bennu for a safe place to collect samples.

Credit: NASA

Sample Retrieval

On October 20, 2020, OSIRIS-REx successfully gathered pieces of Bennu’s rocky surface.

Credit: NASA

Historic Return

The sample capsule touched down on Earth on September 24, 2023, seven years post-launch.

Credit: NASA

Watery Past

Initial analysis revealed Bennu once had water flowing through its rocky interior.

Unique Rocks

Sara Russell’s study highlighted Bennu’s rocks as unlike anything seen on Earth before.

Credit: NASA

Destroyed Grains

Russell noted the absence of chondrules, destroyed by the asteroid’s watery alteration.

Planetary Clues

Chondrules, essential to planet formation, were absent, hinting at Bennu’s unique evolution.

Representative pic

Speed Increase

Scientists observed Bennu’s rotation is accelerating, shortening its day by one second every century.

Credit: NASA

Future Impact

Bennu’s mysteries, from unique rocks to water traces, offer clues to planetary formation and evolution.

Credit: NASA