Astrobiology Heroes Poster Series

These are the “heroes” of astrobiology, exploring the hidden depths of the Earth, roving the worlds of our solar system, and peering at planets around distant stars. They are shaping the future of astrobiology research and helping scientists deepen knowledge about the origin and evolution of life on Earth and the potential for life in the Universe.

NASA’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security‑Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS‑REx) is the first U.S. mission to return samples from an asteroid to Earth. OSIRIS‑REx left Earth in 2016, traveled to Bennu—a carbon‑rich asteroid that records the earliest history of our Solar System—and is bringing a piece of it back.

Bennu may contain the molecular precursors to the origin of life and the Earth’s oceans, and scientists will study returned samples to determine its physical and chemical properties. Kepler surveyed a portion of the Milky Way and identified Earth‑size planets around distant stars, leaving a legacy of more than 2,600 exoplanet discoveries.

United States

astrobiology, osiris-rex, bennu, asteroid samples, kepler, exoplanets, milky way, molecular precursors, nasa, carbon rich