
Dr Sarah Crowther: The Ingredients for Life – OSIRIS-REx Mission Update
15 May, 2025
£12 – £14
Lovell Lecture Series
19.30 – 21.00
On 29 January 2025, brand new findings about the origins of life and the early days of our Solar System were released. Join Dr Sarah Crowther for an exclusive insight into the first published results from NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission—one of the most exciting space explorations of our time.
Asteroid Bennu, a relic from the dawn of the Solar System, has delivered an astonishing revelation: its 4.6-billion-year-old material is rich in organic molecules, salts, and minerals—some never before seen in meteorites that have fallen to Earth. These findings suggest that Bennu may have originated from an ancient, water-rich world, possibly from the icy regions beyond Saturn.
What does this mean for our understanding of the origins of life? Could asteroids like Bennu have delivered the essential ingredients for life to Earth, and perhaps to other planets? The answers could reshape our understanding of the early Solar System and the processes that set the stage for life as we know it.
About Dr Sarah Crowther
Dr Sarah Crowther is a Research Fellow in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Manchester.
Her research looks at the evolution of the early Solar System through laboratory-based chemical analysis of extra-terrestrial materials. A large part of her research focuses on age-dating meteorites, to unravel the thermal and impact histories of their parent asteroids. Sarah has previously analysed samples returned by NASA’s Genesis mission, the Apollo missions, NASA’s Stardust mission and the Japanese Hayabusa and Hayabusa2 missions. She is a member of the international Sample Analysis Team who are currently analysing and studying samples returned by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission.
Guests can also pre-book an evening meal at our fantastic First Light Café.
Open from 18.00 – 19.15, with the last sitting at 18.50.
MENU
Pie, Mash, Peas & Gravy – £11.95:
- Cheese & Onion, packed with gooey mature cheddar cheese, sautéed onions, and potato (v, halal) 2022 SILVER: The British Pie Awards
- Steak & Stout Flank Steak, bathed in Guinness stout for 24 hours, braised and slow-cooked with carrots, garlic, onions, bay leaf, and thyme, with a rich stout gravy
- Aloo Saag Spinach & Sweet Potato, cooked in our own blend of spices with a spicy tomato curry sauce (v, vegan, halal)

image Curation teams process the sample return capsule from NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission. Photo credit: NASA/Keegan Barber