Bennu sample reveals water and carbon — clues to cosmic life?

Plus: Shield AI swarm capability expands, orbital power generation by 2035, aerobraking down to Neptune. Early analysis of material carried back to Earth from asteroid Bennu confirms that the 4.5-billion-year-old specimen contains carbon, clay minerals, and organic compounds — the ingredients for life. This is the largest carbon-rich asteroid sample ever retrieved. Studying matter plucked from Bennu gives fresh insights into our solar system’s origin, the risk from asteroids that could impact Earth, and the building blocks that formed planets like ours. Most of the material will be preserved for future research. The rest will undergo two years of analysis to fulfill OSIRIS-REx’s mission of mapping Bennu’s composition. To learn more about the initial findings — and what researchers predict they could reveal about the formation of life itself — jump to today’s [Must Read](. Good morning. I’m Tim, newsletter editor at IE. This is the Blueprint. 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Must Read [💧 Scientists find carbon and water in asteroid Bennu sample]( NASA has revealed its OSIRIS-REx mission found carbon and water — the basic ingredients for life — inside asteroid Bennu . This 4.5-billion-year-old sample is the largest haul of carbon-rich asteroid material ever retrieved. Early analysis confirms the presence of clay minerals and organic compounds. Studying Bennu gives insights into our solar system's origins and asteroids that could threaten Earth. Over 70 percent of the sample will be preserved for future research. The rest will undergo analysis over the next two years to achieve the mission's science goals. Each discovery about Bennu’s composition helps scientists better understand the origins of life’s building blocks, and our own planet’s geology. Stay tuned for what NASA Administrator Bill Nelson says will be “Science like we’ve never seen before.” [[Read More]( [Military]( [🦇 Shield AI to swarm with 4 V-BATs thanks to new V-BAT Teams]( California-based Shield AI has unveiled its new V-BAT Teams system, enabling more V-BAT drones to work together. Partly a gambit to join the U.S. Department of Defense's (DoD) "Replicator" initiative, the company hopes to sell the technology to interested international consumers too. [[Read More]( [Science]( [🪂 Aerobraking: A promising way to explore Neptune and its moon]( Inflatable heat shields could be used to aerobrake into orbit around Neptune using its moon Triton's atmosphere. Triton's retrograde orbit and denser atmosphere create ideal aerodrag to slash spacecraft velocity without fuel. This innovative approach would enable cost-effective Neptune exploration to study its fascinating weather and geology. 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