Image credit: NASA/Keegan Barber

Scientists in the Astrobiology Analytical Laboratory analyze organic molecules in samples of comets, asteroids, meteorites, and Moon dust, to help determine the origin of life on Earth. They work with samples collected by NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft at asteroid Bennu, and by JAXA's Hyabusa spacecraft from asteroids Itokawa and Ryugu. Astrobiology lab scientists also have analyzed dust from comet Wild 2, collected by NASA's Stardust spacecraft, and lunar regolith returned from the Moon by Apollo astronauts.