NASA's returned asteroid samples hold the ingredients to life plus salts from an ancient water world

In the U.S., scientists reported on Wednesday that NASA's OSIRIS-Rex spacecraft has returned approximately 122 grams of material from near-Earth asteroid Bennu, providing insights into the early solar system.

Preliminary analysis revealed that the sample contains ammonia, suggesting that the material likely formed in a cold region of the solar system beyond Jupiter's orbit.

Scientists have also identified 11 minerals that likely existed in a saltwater environment, suggesting the presence of liquid water in its history.

The findings provide a better understanding of water in the early solar system and the origins of life on Earth.