Thomas Unise
Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS recently made its closest approach to Earth, coming within 167 million miles on December 19. While the event didn’t provide evidence of alien contact, scientists like Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb suggest such objects could serve a valuable purpose for humanity’s future space exploration efforts.
Key Details About 3I/ATLAS
3I/ATLAS is only the third observed interstellar object to pass through our solar system. Most scientists classify it as a natural comet traveling on a highly eccentric trajectory. The object passed Earth at a remarkable speed of 37 miles per second, continuing its journey without any unusual behavior that might suggest artificial origins.
Loeb’s Perspective on Interstellar Objects
While Avi Loeb has previously suggested such objects could potentially be alien spacecraft, he’s now proposing a different use for them. In a recent blog post, he outlined how objects like 3I/ATLAS could serve as natural vehicles to carry human messages or even spacecraft into interstellar space.
Potential for Space Exploration
According to Loeb’s calculations, “riding” on an object like 3I/ATLAS could help humanity reach interstellar space by approximately 10,000 CE, compared to the 30,000 CE timeline projected for current spacecraft like Voyager 1 and 2. For context, despite launching nearly 50 years ago, the Voyager probes have only recently reached the boundary of the heliosphere and will take another 28,000 years to truly exit our solar system beyond the Oort Cloud.
Proposed Methods
Loeb suggests several approaches for utilizing interstellar objects:
- Using high-power laser beams to engrave messages on passing objects
- Designing interceptor missions to attach technological devices to their surfaces
- Creating “time capsules” that could be carried into deep space
Future Observations
Scientists will have another opportunity to study 3I/ATLAS when it passes within 33.3 million miles of Jupiter on March 16, 2026. This close approach could allow spacecraft positioned near Jupiter to gather more data about the object.
The Bigger Picture
Loeb argues that taking advantage of these interstellar visitors could help humanity establish itself in the cosmic neighborhood. He even expressed personal interest in the concept, stating he “would have loved to hitchhike 3I/ATLAS and let it carry my remains into interstellar space.”
While we don’t know when the next interstellar object will pass through our solar system, these rare visitors potentially offer unique opportunities for extending humanity’s reach beyond our solar system—turning natural cosmic travelers into vessels for human exploration.
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