3I/ATLAS: NASA Denies Aliens to Kim Kardashian While 'Hiding' Data From Luna

NASA has firmly denied claims of alien involvement in the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS after reality TV star Kim Kardashian's playful tweet drew massive attention online.

The space agency's swift response to the celebrity, in contrast to its silence regarding scientific inquiries, has sparked backlash from lawmakers and researchers, who accuse NASA of withholding data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's October flyby.

NASA Responds to Kim Kardashian

The controversy began when Kardashian posted on X (formerly Twitter): 'Wait ... what's the tea on 3I/ATLAS?!!???' The Guardian reported.

NASA's Acting Administrator Sean Duffy promptly replied to the post, writing that '@NASA's observations show that this is the third interstellar comet to pass through our solar system.'

'No aliens. No threat to life here on Earth,' Duffy added, according to the New York Post.

While Kardashian's light-hearted query appeared to be a casual remark, it drew attention online quickly.

The episode has since reignited criticism of NASA's transparency, with some scientists pointing out that the agency responded to a celebrity more quickly than to academic researchers requesting data.

What We Know About 3I/ATLAS

Discovered in July, 3I/ATLAS is the third known interstellar object to enter the solar system, following the earlier discoveries of ʻOumuamua in 2017 and Borisov in 2019.

Astronomers initially observed strange characteristics: slight deviations in its trajectory, variations in brightness, and an unexpected colour change.

These anomalies fuelled speculation about whether the object might be artificial in origin.

Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb suggested that such features could be a technological artefact rather than a natural comet, according to The Guardian.

However, most experts have dismissed the alien hypothesis.

Sky at Night Magazine reported that observations of 3I/ATLAS 'revealed a clear coma and tail--tell-tale features of a true comet--and its trajectory shows no sign of non-gravitational forces,' implying that it is likely of natural origin.

Lawmakers and Scientists Demand Transparency

NASA now faces growing political scrutiny for not releasing the HiRISE camera images taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter during 3I/ATLAS's fly-by of Mars on2–3 October.

According to Chron, the images — taken by the spacecraft's HiRISE camer--remain unpublished. Some reports linked the delay to the US government shutdown that began on 1 October.

Representative Anna Paulina Luna has written to Acting Administrator Duffy, urging the immediate release of the data, calling it 'critical to understanding interstellar visitors.'

Meanwhile, Loeb told The Express Tribune that 'science should not be held hostage to politics,' criticising NASA for responding to Kardashian before addressing researchers' formal data requests.

US Representative Anna Paulina Luna wrote to Duffy, urging NASA to release the data, calling it 'of great importance to advancing our understanding of interstellar visitors,' as quoted by the New York Post.

Loeb, meanwhile, told The Express Tribune that 'science should not be held hostage to politics,' criticising NASA for responding swiftly to Kardashian but not to the scientific community's formal requests for information.

The Human Angle: Celebrity Meets Science

Kardashian's online curiosity brought the subject of interstellar research into the public eye, illustrating how pop culture can intersect with science.

Her single tweet prompted NASA to make a public clarification that reached millions of users worldwide.

However, for researchers who have been monitoring 3I/ATLAS for months, the agency's communication strategy has been frustrating.

'My complaint is there was an immediate response to [Kim Kardashian] but no response to us,' Loeb told The Express Tribune.

The incident has revived debates over NASA's accountability in releasing publicly funded data and the role of social media in shaping scientific discourse.

NASA's Official Position

NASA insists that 3I/ATLAS is 'a natural interstellar object, not alien technology,' Moneycontrol reported.

The agency also stated that it 'poses no threat to life on Earth,' according to the New York Post.

NASA has stated that further data releases are forthcoming after internal review processes are completed, although no specific timeline has been confirmed.

Unanswered questions remain: why the HiRISE images have not yet been made public, whether the delay is purely administrative, and how NASA plans to engage with scientists demanding access to the data.

A Question of Public Trust

The exchange between NASA and Kardashian, while light-hearted, highlights a broader issue: how space agencies communicate with the public and strike a balance between transparency and bureaucratic processes.

For many observers, the episode demonstrates that in the age of social media, curiosity — whether from a celebrity or a scientist — can prompt institutions to be more open.

Yet, until NASA publishes the remaining 3I/ATLAS data, the perception that it is "hiding" something may linger.