The interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, discovered in early July 2025 near Jupiter’s orbit, sparked intense debate among scientists and the public. Some, including the well-known astronomer Avi Loeb, suggested it could be an alien probe. However, Russian astronomer Vladimir Surdin refuted this hypothesis in an interview with Gazeta.Ru, stating that 3I/ATLAS is a typical interstellar comet.

Why 3I/ATLAS Is Not an Alien Probe

In his article, Avi Loeb proposed that 3I/ATLAS might be artificial, citing possible non-gravitational acceleration and potential “maneuvers” of the object. However, Surdin explained that such phenomena are common in comets and do not indicate artificial origin.

“Non-gravitational forces affect comets near the Sun. As they heat up, they emit gases that act like a jet engine, altering their trajectory. This makes it difficult to precisely predict their motion. Even if 3I/ATLAS changes its path, that wouldn’t be proof it’s a probe—unless the changes are extremely abrupt,” Surdin noted.

The astronomer also reminded that Loeb has repeatedly put forward bold hypotheses about the artificial origin of interstellar objects, such as ʻOumuamua in 2017. According to Surdin, such claims should be approached with caution.

Possibilities for Studying 3I/ATLAS

The comet 3I/ATLAS, traveling at over 50 km/s, will cross Mars’s orbit in fall 2025 and permanently leave the Solar System. According to Surdin, current spacecraft are not capable of catching up with such a fast-moving object. However, interception is possible using pre-deployed interceptor probes already in space.

“To study objects like 3I/ATLAS, we need to launch interceptor probes in advance, which will wait for a suitable target. For example, the European Space Agency is developing the Comet Interceptor, scheduled for launch in 2029. It will be stationed at the Earth-Sun L2 Lagrange point and will be able to intercept an interstellar object or a long-period comet,” Surdin explained.

The Comet Interceptor spacecraft will be able to approach its target, photograph it, and study its structure. In the case of interstellar asteroids, this would be a breakthrough—ʻOumuamua’s shape, for example, remains a mystery. However, for comets like 3I/ATLAS, such missions are of somewhat lesser value since their chemical composition can be studied from Earth by analyzing the spectra of the gases they emit.

Conclusion

The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is a natural object, not an alien probe, despite speculation. Its study through telescopes is already providing valuable insights into the composition of interstellar bodies, and future missions like Comet Interceptor could significantly expand our knowledge of such visitors from distant corners of space. However, to achieve this, humanity must further develop early-interception technologies.