In Sept 2023, NASA's OSIRIS-REx capsule landed in the Utah desert with ~250 grams of pristine material from carbonaceous asteroid 101955 Bennu.
1. The Fluid-Like Rubble-Pile Surface
Touchdown revealed that Bennu behaves like a ball pit of loosely bound gravel, offering almost zero mechanical resistance to the sampling arm.
2. Organic Molecules & Earth's Ocean Origins
Analysis confirmed abundant carbon, nitrogen compounds, hydrated minerals, and amino acids, reinforcing the theory that asteroid bombardments delivered pre-biotic organic seeds to early Earth.
3. Yarkovsky Effect & 2182 Impact Trajectory
Precise tracking of thermal photon thrust (Yarkovsky drift) refined Bennu's cumulative Earth impact risk to 1-in-2,700 through the year 2300, peaking on Sept 24, 2182.