Boston, Massachusetts – The solar system is shrouded in mysteries that continue to captivate scientists. To uncover these enigmas, researchers are turning their attention to space rocks, including minimoons, in search of clues about the history of our solar system. This investigative approach has already yielded significant discoveries, such as NASA’s OSIRIS REx mission finding water and carbon on the 4.5 billion-year-old asteroid Bennu in October 2023.
Minimoons, small celestial bodies gravitating near Earth’s orbit, are believed to have been shuffled around the inner solar system, influenced by various planetary forces. These minimoons could serve as valuable resources for unraveling the origins of our solar system, shedding light on its early formation and composition, according to Richard Binzel, a planetary sciences professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The proximity of minimoons to Earth offers an advantageous opportunity for space exploration, as accessing and collecting samples from these cosmic bodies would require less time and fuel compared to reaching distant asteroids like Bennu. While the exact origins of minimoons remain a topic of debate, scientists speculate that these tiny moons may have originated in the main asteroid belt situated between Mars and Jupiter.
The potential insights gained from studying near-Earth asteroids and minimoons are akin to delving into a cosmic time capsule, providing glimpses into the conditions and composition of the early solar system. By examining samples from these celestial bodies, scientists hope to address existing challenges in asteroid research, such as the contamination of meteorite samples that have fallen to Earth from space.
One notable success in asteroid exploration was the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s retrieval of samples from the asteroid Ryugu in 2019, revealing stardust predating our solar system and prebiotic organics essential for life. Similarly, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft successfully collected and returned a sample from Bennu in September, marking a historic milestone in asteroid research.
Continued analysis of the Bennu samples over the next decade is expected to unveil further insights into the asteroid’s composition, including the rich presence of carbon-rich material and water-bearing clay minerals. These findings have inspired future missions in near-Earth exploration, with experts considering minimoons as potential destinations for upcoming space missions to expand our understanding of the solar system.