3I/ATLAS: Is NASA Hiding Alien Evidence? Why Avi Loeb, Congress Are Demanding Interstellar Data Release

3I/ATLAS is a comet that has become a major topic of conversation because of its rare interstellar origin and rumors that it might even be an alien spacecraft. It's also drawing attention due to observations of unusual properties and the many assumptions people are making about it.

Moreover, 3I/ATLAS is only the third confirmed interstellar object ever observed entering our Solar System. First spotted on 1 July 2025, it is currently traveling through our planetary network.

Now, because this object is so scientifically unique, many researchers and members of the public are urging the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to release all available data on the mysterious comet. They believe the information should be open and accessible to everyone.

Calls for Transparency Amid the Growing Interest in the Baffling Space Object

The sighting of 3I/ATLAS as it travels through our Solar System has sparked huge scientific interest. And while most early telescopic observations have already been shared through preprint servers and journals, one major issue remains: NASA is believed to be holding a key high-value dataset that many think should already be public.

As a result, calls for data to be available to everyone started to mount. A formal request, led by Dr. Avi Loeb, a known Harvard astronomer, and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a member of Congress, was sent to the U.S. space agency. They are demanding the release of images that were captured by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) before a crucial viewing window closes.

Need for Open Access to Clarify Alien Theories About the Interstellar Visitor

Loeb claimed that NASA is hiding important data related to 3I/ATLAS, which is said to be roughly the size of Manhattan. He stated that the clearest image of the object was taken on 2 October 2025, when it passed about 30 million kilometers from Mars.

He added that the images were taken by the HiRISE camera on the MRO and should be released because they could offer critical insights into the true nature of this mysterious visitor from beyond our Solar System. This would also confirm speculations that 3I/ATLAS could be a spaceship.

'The images are extremely valuable scientifically because they possess a spatial resolution of 30 kilometers per pixel,' Loeb wrote on a post on Medium. 'About 3 times better than the spatial resolution achieved in the best publicly available image from the Hubble Space Telescope, taken on 21 July 2025.'

Loeb also noted that NASA attributed the delay in releasing the data to the early-October government shutdown, but conspiracy theorists argue it may actually be because the HiRISE images show evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence. When asked to comment on the alien theory, the Harvard professor said, 'I suggested that the delay is probably not a sign of extraterrestrial intelligence but rather of terrestrial stupidity.'

He stressed, 'The scientific community would have greatly benefited from the dissemination of this time-sensitive data as astronomers plan follow-up observations in the coming months.'

The professor sought the help of Rep. Luna, who agreed that the 3I/ATLAS data is time-sensitive and should be released immediately. She then sent a letter to NASA's acting administrator, Sean Duffy, formally requesting the images.