StarTalk Radio Secrets of Asteroid Bennu with Harold Connolly Jr.
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Apr 14, 2026 
Harold Connolly Jr., a geologist and OSIRIS-REx mission sample scientist, guides listeners through Bennu’s returned material. He discusses why carbon-rich asteroids matter, how the touch-and-go sample was collected and curated, surprising salts and organics found, comparisons with Ryugu, and what these findings mean for prebiotic chemistry and planetary defense.
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Asteroids Preserve Early Solar System Chemistry
- Asteroids act as pristine time capsules preserving early solar system chemistry.
- Harold Connolly Jr. explains carbonaceous chondrites hold volatiles, water-bearing minerals, and organics untouched by Earth's weathering for 4.5 billion years.
Touch And Go Went Deeper Than Expected
- OSIRIS-REx's touch-and-go unexpectedly penetrated deep and collected more material than planned but some stones jammed the mechanism.
- The team rushed to stow the sample to stop losses, ultimately returning ~122 grams, exceeding the 60 g science goal.
Never Dissolve A Sample Before Petrology
- Always inspect returned extraterrestrial samples visually before destructive analysis.
- Connolly stresses eye examination, thin sections, and microscopy first so context guides which powders to dissolve or instruments to use.