S-type asteroids might deliver water to potentially habitable planets, new study reveals

Meteorites are believed to have played a significant role in supplying water to early Earth. A particular category of meteorites, known as carbonaceous chondrites provide compelling evidence that liquid water once coursed through the material from which they originated. Studies have revealed that the parent bodies of carbonaceous chondrites, C-type asteroids, once hosted hydrothermal systems. In contrast, studies of meteorites originating from S-type asteroids have indicated that these rocky bodies were relatively dry.

Researchers supported by NASA have now revealed new insights about S-type asteroids. Contrary to previous assumptions, findings from a detailed study of samples collected by the Japanese Hayabusa mission suggest that S-type asteroids might possess the capacity to transport life-sustaining water to distant planets.

The researchers studied samples from Japan's Hayabusa mission, which secured samples from the S-type asteroid named Itokawa. They discovered nanometer-sized crystals of sodium chloride (NaCl), contradicting the idea that these rocky bodies were dry.

In the case of Itokawa, traces of sodium chloride were intricately intertwined with minerals that suggest an origin within aqueous fluid. This suggests that Itokawa could have supported a dynamic hydrothermal system, raising new questions about the potential of S-type asteroids to harbor liquid water.

Their findings are published in the journal Nature Astronomy.

Researchers studying samples from @JAXA_en’s Hayabusa mission have shown that, contrary to previous thought, S-type asteroids might deliver water to potentially habitable planets. https://t.co/TVRnITHQVt pic.twitter.com/vzpJQegRII

— NASA Astrobiology: Exploring Life in the Universe (@NASAAstrobio) August 7, 2023