A Box of Treasure from Asteroid Ryugu

Jamie Elsila and Danielle Simkus prepare previously unopened Apollo 17 Moon samples for analysis. Music is "Fairy Christmas" from Universal Production Music. Astrochemist Jamie Elsila, at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, unwraps pristine Moon soil. Apollo 17 astronauts collected it in 1972 by driving tubes down to 10.6 inches (27 centimeters) below the Moon’s surface and pulling out soil that they vacuum-sealed inside the tube right on the Moon. That tube has never been opened … until recently. In this video, Elsila and her colleague, NASA Goddard planetary scientists Danielle Simkus, are preparing two grams of Moon soil, which is called regolith, for analysis in their lab, the Astrobiology Analytical Laboratory at Goddard. Besides Moon soil, the scientists are also preparing lab-made Earth soil that will serve as a control in their experiments, helping increase the reliability of the results. The soils are first crushed with a mortar and pestle and transferred to glass capsules. Then, scientists add water, flame-seal the capsules, and cook them in a special oven to extract organic compounds. Over the next few months, they will study the extracted compounds to shed light on the primordial chemistry of the solar system. Related pages

Highlight reel of the NASA Goddard Astrobiology Analytical Laboratory. Available for download in broadcast-quality Apple ProRes. The NASA Goddard Astrobiology Analytical Laboratory is dedicated to the study of organic compounds derived from sample return missions, meteorites, lab simulations of Mars, interstellar, proto-planetary, and cometary ices and dust grains. In addition, the Lab also focuses on instrument development to analyze environments on other worlds.Like forensic crime shows on television, the Astrobiology Analytical Laboratory employs commercial analytical instruments (such as mass spectrometers and gas chromatographs) to interrogate samples and examine molecules of interest. However, the goal is not to uncover evidence of a crime, but rather to study the origin and evolution of the solar system, and to better understand the habitability of worlds beyond Earth.The footage on this page is an editor’s resource reel intended for use in finished productions. It is available for download in a variety of formats, including broadcast-quality Apple ProRes. Related pages

Project Scientist Jason Dworkin discusses the OSIRIS-REx mission to explore asteroid Bennu and return a sample to Earth.View transcript.Watch this video on the NASAexplorer YouTube channel. Astrobiologists like Jason Dworkin are keenly interested in the origins of life on Earth, but the evidence that they seek was erased long ago by Earth’s geology and chemistry. Fortunately, asteroids like Bennu preserve the solar system’s earliest ingredients - including the carbon-based building blocks of life - which can be retrieved and studied by scientists in a lab on Earth. That’s why NASA is sending a spacecraft called OSIRIS-REx to explore asteroid Bennu and bring back a sample. The material collected by OSIRIS-REx will provide a wealth of data for future generations of scientists, shedding light on one of the solar system's biggest mysteries.Learn more about the OSIRIS-REx mission to asteroid Bennu.Learn more about the Astrobiology Analytical Laboratory at NASA Goddard. For More InformationSee [http://www.asteroidmission.org/](http://www.asteroidmission.org/) Related pages

This web short gives an overview of the exciting discovery. This animation depicts the presence of adenine and guanine, two nucleobases found in DNA, inside a meteorite sample. Animation depicting the structural differences between standard and non-standard nucleobases. Animation depicting the comparison of molecule types found in various samples. Animation depicting how a hydrogen cyanide reaction inside a meteorite may have created the variety of nucleobases found in samples on Earth. Animation depicting the locations of several meteorite impacts on Earth. Animation depicting a meteorite heading toward an early Earth. Animation depicting an asteroid moving through space. Interview clips featuring Mike Callahan, Research Physical Scientist in the Astrobiology Analytical Laboratory at Goddard Space Flight Center. Meteorites contain a large variety of nucleobases, an essential building block of DNA. NASA-funded researchers have evidence that some building blocks of DNA, the molecule that carries the genetic instructions for life, found in meteorites were likely created in space. The research gives support to the theory that a "kit" of ready-made parts created in space and delivered to Earth by meteorite and comet impacts assisted the origin of life. For More InformationSee [http://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/dna-meteorites.html](http://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/dna-meteorites.html) Related pages

Meet Dr. Michael Mumma, Director of the Goddard Center for Astrobiology, and learn about his role in the laboratory. For complete transcript, click here. Jamie Cook, an astrobiologist at the Goddard Space Flight Center, talks about her work in the lab and some of her most exciting discoveries.For complete transcript, click here. Joe Nuth, Senior Scientist for Primitive Bodies, talks about his job, his research, and how scientists are just like everyone else, but a little nerdier.For complete transcript, click here. Jason Dworkin, Chief of the Astrochemistry Laboratory, talks about solving problems, analyzing comets, and the great team of people working to answer science's biggest questions.For complete transcript, click here. Geronimo Villanueva talks about the possibility of life on Mars, trips to remote telescopes, and the research opportunities at NASA. In Spanish.For an English transcription, click here. Danny Glavin talks about crushing meteorite samples, funding, and how having the right chemistry (no pun intended) is important in an astrobiology lab.For complete transcript, click here. Inge ten Kate talks about the origin of life, the VAPOR instrument, and the unique opportunity to be both a scientist AND an engineer.For complete transcript, click here. Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. The NASA Goddard Center for Astrobiology and the NASA Astrobiology Institute focus on this amazing field through research, experimentation, and work with scientists from all over the world. Learn more about some of the people at the Goddard Center for Astrobiology below! Related pages