Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS passed about 167 million miles from Earth on December 19 and is widely regarded as a natural comet. Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb suggested that fast interstellar visitors could carry human time capsules or tiny probes beyond the Solar System, potentially shortening timelines for reaching interstellar space. He proposed methods such as laser engraving or interceptor missions to attach payloads, and noted 3I/ATLAS will pass near Jupiter on March 16, 2026 for closer study.
Could We Hitch a Ride on Fast Interstellar Visitors Like 3I/ATLAS?
Astronomer Avi Loeb argued that other objects like interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS could be useful for reaching out to aliens, if they exist.
Mysterious interstellar object 3I/ATLAS made its closest pass by Earth on December 19, coming within roughly 167 million miles. Observers tracked the body closely; most researchers treat it as a natural comet and note that it is only the third confirmed interstellar object to be directly observed in the Solar System, following highly eccentric, hyperbolic trajectories.
The flyby was anticlimactic for those hoping for extraterrestrial spectacle. Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb — who has previously entertained the speculative idea that such objects could be artificial — wrote in a blog post titled "3I/ATLAS Ignores Earth" that the object simply coasted past with no obvious sign of deliberate behavior.
From Alien Hopes to Practical Ideas
As expectations of an alien encounter faded, Loeb pivoted to a more practical suggestion: using fast interstellar visitors as carriers for human-made time capsules, instruments, or very small probes. He compared the idea to the Voyager Golden Records, which were affixed to Voyager 1 and 2 as cultural time capsules launched into interstellar space.
"The discovery of interstellar objects over the past decade offers new opportunities for humanity to send time capsules to interstellar space," Loeb wrote, suggesting we should seize such rare opportunities.
Because objects like 3I/ATLAS travel at very high speeds (Loeb cites roughly 37 miles per second), he argued they could carry payloads far beyond the Solar System more quickly than our existing spacecraft alone. By "riding 3I/ATLAS," Loeb suggested humanity could reach interstellar space by approximately 10,000 CE instead of by about 30,000 CE under current trajectories.
How Could We Attach a Payload?
Loeb proposed several methods to attach messages or instruments to a passing interstellar object, including:
- Using a high-power laser to engrave or mark a message on the surface;
- Designing fast interceptor missions to physically attach small technological payloads;
- Deploying tiny, ultra-light probes that could cling to or be embedded in the object's surface.
These approaches would face major technical challenges — precise navigation, timing, and the physical properties of the object's surface among them — but they offer a conceptual pathway for using naturally fast interstellar visitors as free-moving carriers into deep space.
Context: Voyagers and Timing
Although Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 launched nearly 50 years ago and recently crossed the heliosphere's boundary, reaching truly unbound space beyond the Oort Cloud could take tens of thousands of years. Estimates suggest Voyager 1 may still need on the order of ~28,000 years to exit the Sun's gravitational sphere of influence entirely — which is why the speed advantage of interstellar objects intrigues some researchers.
For now, 3I/ATLAS will provide another observational opportunity: it is expected to pass within roughly 33.3 million miles of Jupiter on March 16, 2026, when spacecraft near Jupiter could help gather higher-quality data.
Loeb framed the idea in broad terms, urging that humanity should act quickly when interstellar objects visit our neighborhood. He even wrote that he personally "would have loved to hitchhike 3I/ATLAS and let it carry my remains into interstellar space," underscoring both the symbolic and practical appeal of sending human messages beyond the Solar System.
Bottom line: While 3I/ATLAS is most likely a natural comet, its speed and trajectory highlight an intriguing, if technically challenging, way to accelerate humanity's reach into interstellar space by using passing interstellar objects as carriers for tiny payloads or time capsules.
