07:40
Moon's two sides
NASA's Bennu samples reveal building blocks of life
Reuters
NASA's asteroid samples have revealed organic compounds, including amino acids and nucleobases. Scientists say these findings are proof that asteroids may have helped seed early Earth.
NASA's analysis of asteroid Bennu samples has found key organic compounds, such as amino acids and nucleobases, essential for life. Collected by OSIRIS-REx in 2020 and delivered to Earth in 2023, these samples suggest that asteroids may have significantly contributed to the emergence of life on early Earth.
Two studies in "Nature Astronomy" and "Nature" reveal that the samples contain organic compounds and minerals from evaporated brine, suggesting conditions for prebiotic chemistry. Unlike meteorites, which can be contaminated after landing, these samples offer an untainted record of the solar system's early chemistry.
Scientists assume Bennu formed from a large icy celestial body, believed to be destroyed 1 to 2 billion years ago. The remnants became Bennu and other "rubble pile" asteroids, preserving ancient materials that could reveal clues about the origins of life.
23:30
Nasa
Perseverance rover captures first visible aurora on Mars, a potential spectacle for future astronauts
NASA’s Perseverance rover has spotted the first aurora on Mars visible to the human eye, offering a glimpse of what future astronauts might one day enjoy under the Martian sky.
21:30
World News
US Senate Commerce panel advances NASA, FCC nominees
The Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday advanced President Donald Trump’s picks of private astronaut-entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to run NASA and aide Olivia Trusty to fill an FCC seat, moves that would hand Republicans a 3-2 majority on the telecom regulator.
12:46
SPACE
Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft with US-Russian crew launched for ISS
A Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying an American astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Tuesday for the International Space Station (ISS), Russia's Roscosmos space agency said.
17:36
NASA astronauts Wilmore and Williams return to Earth after prolonged mission
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams completed an unexpectedly long 286-day mission on the ISS, returning to Earth aboard a SpaceX capsule after delays caused by technical issues with Boeing’s Starliner.
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