Overview
- Japan’s Tohoku University-led team reports six sugars in NASA’s Bennu sample, including glucose, galactose and the RNA sugar ribose.
- Glucose and galactose are identified for the first time in space-derived material, marking a milestone beyond prior meteorite claims.
- Researchers analyzed about 0.6 grams of the returned sample, extracting organics and purifying sugars under controlled conditions.
- Ribose found alongside previously reported nucleobases, phosphate and amino acids supports the team’s conclusion that RNA’s components exist in space.
- The findings were published December 2 in Nature Geoscience, with broader analyses and independent verification expected to follow.