Asteroid sample reveals the building blocks of life are extraterrestrial in origin

Researchers have detected organic compounds and minerals necessary for life in unprecedented samples collected from the near-Earth asteroid Bennu, adding evidence to the idea that asteroids likely delivered the building blocks of life to our planet early in its history.

The samples are also providing a window into understanding what kind of chemical and biological processes were already underway as space rocks chaotically ricocheted around during the early days of the solar system.