A mysterious interstellar object is currently hurtling through our solar system after travelling for billions of years through the vast expanse of space.
The object, dubbed 3I/ATLAS, was spotted by NASA on July 1 and is only the third visitor from another star detected in our region of space.
3I/ATLAS will reach its closest point to the sun on October 30, at a distance of 130 million miles (210 million km), before disappearing once again.
Before it vanishes for good, scientists want to send a spacecraft to intercept the enigmatic interloper.
Scientists are exploring the possibility of scrambling spacecraft from all over the solar system to meet with 3I/ATLAS before it leaves the solar system.
But with the object travelling at over 37 miles per second (60 km/s), that will not be easy.
Researchers hope that by reaching 3I/ATLAS in time, they could learn more about its origins and even answer some big questions about the formation of the galaxy.
Some, such as Harvard’s Professor Avi Loeb, even believe that this could settle the question of whether the object is really an alien probe.
Scientists want to send a spacecraft to intercept the mysterious interstellar object 3I/ATLAS (artist’s impression) currently hurtling through the solar system
3I/ATLAS was discovered by NASA in July and is currently travelling towards the sun at over 37 miles per second (60 km/s). Pictured: 3I/ATLAS as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope
Objects arriving from other solar systems are extremely rare compared to the thousands of known meteors originating from within our own system.
Previously, the only other known interstellar objects were ‘Oumuamua in 2017 and the comet Borisov in 2019.
That makes the opportunity to observe 3I/ATLAS as it whizzes past the sun an extremely exciting moment for scientists all around the world.
The object has already been observed by big telescopes such as Gemini North in Hawaii and the Very Large Telescope in Chile.
Likewise, plans to take an even closer look using the sensitive instruments on the James Webb Space Telescope are already underway.
But to truly understand what 3I/ATLAS is made of, scientists think we would need to get a spacecraft much closer.
The problem is that 3I/ATLAS is currently moving too fast and is too far away for an Earth-based launch to reach the object in time.
In a recent pre-print paper, researchers from Michigan State University calculated that a craft would need to have left Earth at 15 miles per second (24 km/s) on the day the object was spotted to stand a chance of arriving in time.
Since 3I/ATLAS is moving so fast, reaching it with a spacecraft will be extremely difficult. However, doing so could yield more data than even our best telescopes. Pictured: Images of 3I/ATLAS taken by the Gemini North telescope
Instead, researchers propose that space agencies like NASA should consider redirecting craft already in orbit around other planets towards 3I/ATLAS.
Professor Loeb suggests that NASA should use the Juno spacecraft, which is currently gathering data from its orbit around Jupiter.
Professor Loeb told Daily Mail: ‘3I/Atlas will pass within 54 million kilometres from Jupiter in mid-March 2026.
‘Juno is in orbit around Jupiter and was planned to end its mission in mid-September 2025.’
Instead of plunging Juno into Jupiter’s atmosphere as planned, Professor Loeb suggests using all the remaining fuel to boost the craft in the direction of 3I/ATLAS, potentially meeting it around March 14 next year.
If Juno could make the journey in time, its suite of sophisticated equipment could provide unprecedented levels of data about this interstellar object.
Professor Loeb says: ‘The instruments on Juno can all be used to probe the nature of 3I/ATLAS from a close distance, far better than any observatories on Earth.’
This bold plan has already secured the support of Florida Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna.
Scientists have proposed diverting NASA’s Juno probe out of its orbit around Jupiter and towards 3I/ATLAS
If Juno has enough fuel, it might be able to intercept 3I/ATLAS (pictured) by mid-May next year in order to gather more data
In a letter to Trump’s new NASA administrator, Sean Duffy, Ms Luna urges the space agency to consider this option.
Ms Luna wrote: ‘It is recommended that NASA conduct a study to assess how much fuel is left in Juno’s engine, and I support an extension of the Juno mission at least until mid-March 2026 at a cost of about $15M per 6 months from the current expiration date of mid-September 2025.’
However, not everyone is convinced that Juno has the power or fuel needed to escape its orbit and reach 3I/ATLAS.
Writing on X, Professor Jason Wright, of Pennsylvania State University, said: ‘Juno does not have enough fuel to visit 3I/ATLAS. Its main engine is also malfunctioning.
‘An extended mission for Juno would be awesome, but a visit to 3I/ATLAS makes no sense.’
The European Space Agency (ESA) is reportedly considering using its own Jupiter probe, Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE), which is currently on its way to the planet.
While JUICE might have more fuel than Juno, ESA is still uncertain whether its course could be diverted to align with 3I/ATLAS.
Currently, there are no concrete plans to divert JUICE out of its current orbit.
An alternative option would be to use spacecraft currently in orbit around Mars. At its closest point to the sun, the object will pass just within the orbit of Mars at around 18.6 million miles (30 million km) from the Red Planet.
Dr Marco Fenucci, of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Near-Earth Objects Coordination Centre, told Daily Mail: ‘ESA at the moment does not have a plan to visit 3I/Atlas.’
Likewise, Dr Fenucci adds that ‘to my knowledge’ there are no spacecraft which could reach the object in time.
Another option would be to use one of the spacecraft currently orbiting Mars and approaching the end of their missions, such as Mars Odyssey or the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
According to Atsuhiro Yaginuma and his co-authors from Michigan State University, one of these spacecraft could reach 3I/ATLAS after setting off as late as September.
At its closest point to the sun, the object will pass just within the orbit of Mars at around 18.6 million miles (30 million km) from the Red Planet.
By boosting a Mars orbiter by 10,800 miles per hour (17,400 km/h), one of these probes could reach 3I/ATLAS before it leaves the solar system.
Mr Yaginuma says: ‘It would require a lot of fuel and a lot of rapid mobilisation from people here on Earth.
‘But getting close to an interstellar object could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.’
Scientists have proposed using the Mars Orbiter’s remaining fuel to boost towards 3I/ATLAS, potentially getting close enough to gather data
However, it still isn’t clear whether any of the craft currently orbiting Mars have enough fuel to make the trip.
If a craft were able to reach 3I/ATLAS in time, it could herald a huge breakthrough for our understanding of the galaxy.
Dr Fenucci says: ‘There would undoubtedly be an extremely high scientific return for such a mission, at the expense, however, of a complicated mission design and strict time constraints.
‘Interstellar objects are our unique chance to get a direct glimpse of the composition of another star system, providing a rare opportunity to study how similar is our solar system to other planetary systems.’
By approaching the object, a craft may be able to make a direct analysis of dust and ice surrounding the object and gatether high-resolution images.
That data could help astronomers understand how solar systems form, or even how chemicals necessary for life are delivered to habitable worlds.
Additionally, amid speculation that 3I/ATLAS may be alien in origin, a visit from one of our own probes could help settle this debate.
Although the scientific consensus is that 3I/ATLAS is a comet, Professor Loeb maintains that it could be an artificial craft.
Images of 3I/ATLAS taken on July 4 and July 29, 2025, show no sign of a comet tail. Harvard Professor Avi Loeb has taken this as evidence that 3I/ATLAS could be an alien spacecraft. Reaching the object with a probe would reveal the truth
Read More
Mysterious interstellar object aiming at Earth ‘not natural’ as scientists rule out comet theory
Professor Loeb says that objects of this size should only arrive in the solar system once every 10,000 years.
This is combined with its suspicious path which takes 3I/ATLAS straight through the heart of the solar system.
Given the objects rarity, Professor Loeb says that there is only a 0.005 per cent chance of the 3I/ATLAS arriving naturally.
However, these concerns will likely be addressed by future observations as 3I/ATLAS gets closer to the sun, which should reveal more cometary activity if it is a natural object.