Scientists Want to Catch 3I/ATLAS Before It Escapes the Solar System, But Mission Could Take 50 Years

Scientists have proposed a daring mission to intercept interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, the third such object ever detected in our solar system.

But there's one problem: the interstellar comet is moving away at immense speed. Any direct attempt to reach it would require technological capabilities beyond current limits.

Researchers suggest launching a spacecraft in 2035, using a carefully timed Solar Oberth manoeuvre—a technique that exploits the sun's gravity to accelerate a craft—to reach the comet. While the mission could take up to 50 years, it promises the first close-up study of material from another star system

This could offer insights into planetary formation far beyond our own.

The Challenges of Catching 3I/ATLAS

Interstellar objects travel at velocities that make conventional missions nearly impossible.

Comet 3I/ATLAS is already receding from the sun at more than 60 kilometres per second. Meaning, a spacecraft cannot simply chase it using standard propulsion. A direct approach was ruled out because the comet was detected only after it had passed Jupiter's orbit, missing the optimal launch window.

Adam Hibberd, a software and research engineer with the Initiative for Interstellar Studies (i4is), explained that the comet's speed and late detection forced the team to consider alternative strategies.

Live Science reported that the proposed Solar Oberth manoeuvre involves sending a spacecraft close to the sun, where its gravitational pull maximises the probe's speed during an engine burn.

This slingshot effect would propel the craft fast enough to intercept 3I/ATLAS, despite its high velocity and the distance involved.

The Proposed 2035 Mission

According to the i4is team, a launch in 2035 would align Earth, Jupiter, and the sun with 3I/ATLAS, optimising the energy required for the manoeuvre. Hibberd explained that this timing is crucial: it reduces the demands on the launch vehicle, limits the spacecraft's fuel requirements, and shortens the mission's flight time.

Even so, the mission could last around 50 years.

While this may seem extreme, the long journey reflects the reality of intercepting an object that is already leaving the solar system. Scientists argue that the scientific payoff justifies the wait.

Interstellar comets carry material from their home star systems. This would give us a rare glimpse into environments that are otherwise impossible to study directly. Examining 3I/ATLAS could reveal clues about the formation of planets and the composition of distant planetary systems.

Do We Have the Technology For It?

Current technology is sufficient for the Solar Oberth approach, but alternatives like directed-energy propulsion (DEP) remain decades away from operational use.

DEP, which uses powerful lasers to push spacecraft to extreme velocities, could dramatically shorten travel times to interstellar objects, but its technical readiness level is low.

The i4is study emphasises that even a slow intercept would be groundbreaking.

Studying 3I/ATLAS up close would allow scientists to analyse its chemical makeup, structure, and dust emissions. These findings could reshape the understanding of planetary formation across the galaxy. Hibberd and his co-authors, including aerospace engineer Andreas Hein and scientist T. Marshall Eubanks, note that intercepting interstellar comets represents a unique opportunity to gather data that cannot be obtained through telescopic observation alone.

Why Play Catch Up With 3I/ATLAS?

Telescopes can only tell us so much from afar. Physical measurements — dust, gas, and isotopic composition — require proximity. A flyby or rendezvous could provide insights impossible to get remotely.

Besides, interstellar comets act like cosmic messengers. They carry the building blocks of planets, potentially even organic compounds, helping scientists understand whether life-bearing chemistry is common across the galaxy.

Not to mention, 3I/ATLAS is remarkable for taking over headlines on Earth. It's the third interstellar object ever detected passing through our solar system, following 'Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. Unlike comets from within our solar system, it originated from another star system, carrying material untouched by our Sun.

Its high speed of over 60 km/s relative to the Sun and unusual trajectory make it almost impossible to catch with conventional spacecraft. Scientists are excited because it offers a once-in-a-lifetime chance to study debris from an alien planetary system directly.