NASA boss Bill Nelson showcased samples from Asteroid Bennu, which was almost 60 million miles from Earth when the specimen was collected.
Black coloured dust and rubble was kept inside a metallic capsule that was dropped off by NASA’s Osiris-Rex during a recent flyby.
As per the initial assessment, the asteroid sample contains water, carbon and organic matter. Further studies are pending.
The main sample capsule is yet to be opened. NASA said it is “a whole treasure chest of extraterrestrial material,” waiting to be studied.
The rare sample is expected to contain the building blocks of life and may answer questions about the origin of the universe.