Object in Space
NASA Hubble Space Telescope/Unsplash

After the recent US government shutdown that lasted 43 days officially came to a close, NASA and other researchers can start getting back to work, and the world may soon get answers about the mysterious interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, which has sparked everything from scientific intrigue to alien speculation.

The lifting of the shutdown, which began after US President Donald Trump signed a funding bill on 12 November that includes the budget for science agencies up to 30 January, could mean that NASA will be able to provide clearer answers regarding the mysteries of the interstellar comet that is roaming around the solar system.

Among those pushing for answers is Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, who has publicly demanded that NASA release images and data related to the comet.

Lawmaker's Demand for 3I/ATLAS Image Release

On her X (formerly Twitter) account, the 36-year-old lawmaker shared her open letter addressed to Sean Duffy, the acting NASA administrator.

'I write to request the release of specific observational data related to 3I/ATLAS, recently captured by NASA missions,' Luna shared. 'This information is of great importance to advancing our understanding of interstellar visitors and their interaction with our solar system.'

Luna's demand for more transparency on information about the interstellar object comes after the mysterious comet showed signs of non-gravitational acceleration, as reported by the New York Post.

Other suspicions about the comet arose after Harvard scientist Avi Loeb mentioned that it is 'bluer than the sun,' a trait he suggested could point to an alien aircraft engine.

What Images Do Luna Wants to See?

The Florida representative specifically asked NASA to make the images taken by the HiRISE camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on 2 and 3 October.

She also demanded to get 'supplementary data' from Perseverance Rover, as well as 'other Mars missions that may have detected unusual activity near Mars around or after 3 October 2025, when 3I/ATLAS passed within approximately 30 million kilometers (18.6 million miles) of the planet.'

Loeb also accused NASA of keeping the 2 October images from the HiRISE camera a secret, implying that the cosmic object has some non-cometary characteristics.

Rep. Luna wanted NASA to continue their close monitoring of the 3I/ATLAS.

'I encourage NASA to fund additional observations of 31/ATLAS by the Juno mission near Jupiter, utilising all available instruments, including its radio sensors,' she added on her X post. 'Observations from this vantage point could yield valuable insights into the object's composition, trajectory, and possible interaction with the solar environment.'

Chinese Spacecraft Sent Images

While NASA has yet to resume work following the shutdown, China's Tianwen-1 orbiter has already stepped in, capturing images of 3I/ATLAS during a Mars flyby between 1 to 4 October.

'This was the first attempt to photograph such a distant and relatively dim target,' the China National Space Administation (CNSA) said in a statement.

NASA has yet to respond to the calls for the 3I/ATLAS image from Rep. Luna and Loeb. But since the shutdown is over, scientists from the space centre may soon provide more details about the interstellar being.

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