Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS heads toward Earth as NASA fails to contact MAVEN

The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS will make its closest approach to the Earth this week. The third known interstellar visitor is set to pass within 167 million miles of our planet on Friday, December 19.

Initially discovered in June, 3I/ATLAS is racing through our solar system. 

It made its closest approach to Mars in October, and after passing Earth, it is expected to get much closer to Jupiter in March next year (2026).

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been tracking the comet and regularly sharing updates with space enthusiasts.

The space rock is estimated to measure between 1,444 feet and 3.5 miles in diameter.

According to the director of NASA’s Center for Near Earth Objects Studies, the comet is expected to move into interstellar space in the mid-2030s. Paul Chodas further added that it will never return to our solar system again.

Earlier reports suggested NASA secretly activated planetary defense mechanism amid speculation about the space rock’s origin, though 3I/ATLAS was later confirmed to be a comet.

In a separate development following the comet’s close passage near Mars, NASA lost contact with Mars spacecraft MAVEN.

The Mars spacecraft, orbiting the red planet since 2014, went offline on December 4, and since then, the American space agency has been unable to establish contact.

Many online users suggested that 3I/ATLAS is responsible for “taking out” MAVEN.