National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) aims to intercept the fastest known interstellar comet. also known as 31 Atlas. that is hurling through the solar system at the speed of 58km/s.
Discovered in Chile by the NASA-funded project, Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) on July 1, 2025, the comet has a diameter of 11.2km. This icy visitor is the third confirmed interstellar object after Oumuamua (2017) and Borisov (2019).
Unlike the previous one, there are rare chances of conducting a close-up study as it approaches its perihelion (closest point to the Sun) on October 29, 2025, passing through 1.356 astronomical units from the Sun.
While intercepting 31 Atlas can be highly significant, it can pose unprecedented challenges.
According to the University of Michigan, the launch of the comet from Earth needs a delta-V (velocity change) of around 24km/s that almost matches the energy of NASA’s Dawn mission that was powered by NASA’s jet propulsion laboratory that enabled the spacecraft to orbit and explore the two bodies i.e., protoplanet Vesta and the dwarf planet Ceres in a single mission.
As the deadline approaches, this can be unfeasible to achieve. However, a launch from Mars where the comet will pass closely in early October can reduce the required delta-V to 5km/s, making it achievable with current technology.
Exclusive high-resolution images can be captured with existing Mars orbiters such as MAVEN and ESA’s Mars Express.
Upon executing a successful mission, the understanding of interstellar chemistry and planetary formation can be revolutionized. With this, scientists aim to assess organic molecules that can hint at life’s building blocks, isotopic signatures that can reveal comet’s origin, and insights into how comets have seeded Earth with water.
In the words of an astrobiologist, Dr. Sarah Johnson, “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, 3I Atlas carries pristine material from another star system—studying it could reshape our knowledge of the cosmos.”
With the comet’s rapid exit expected after perihelion, NASA faces a race against time to finalize mission plans. The deadline is short but the rewards can be revolutionary.
