A risky maneuver could send a spacecraft to interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS. Here's the plan
Space.com
by Keith Cooper February 22, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
A new plan proposes sending a spacecraft on an ambitious journey to intercept interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS using a high-risk solar Oberth maneuver (SOM). If launched in 2035, this mission could reach the comet by 2085 at a distance of 732 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun. This would require the spacecraft to perform a major rocket burn just 3.2 solar radii—about 1.6 million miles—from the Sun's surface, taking advantage of the Oberth effect to gain extreme velocity. While such a maneuver is unprecedented in scale, it could allow humanity to explore an interstellar object for the first time.
The Oberth effect involves firing engines at the closest point of approach to a gravitational body, maximizing delta-V. By performing this burn near the Sun, the spacecraft would achieve the necessary speed to catch up with 3I/ATLAS, which is currently moving away from us. This strategy builds on existing concepts like NASA's Artemis missions but pushes boundaries by bringing the spacecraft much closer to the Sun than any previous mission. For comparison, the Parker Solar Probe, designed to withstand intense solar heat, only reached 0.04 AU (around 3.7 million miles) during
Verticals
spacescience
Originally published on Space.com on 2/22/2026