NASA to Oumuamua! A Closer Look at the Mysterious Alien Spacecraft

 

When scientists first detected 'Oumuamua in October 2017, they had never seen anything like it. Zooming through our solar system at 196,000 miles per hour, this cigar-shaped body didn't act like a normal comet or asteroid. Rather, it seemed to surprise everyone, making some wonder: was this an extraterrestrial spacecraft?

The Interstellar Visitor

'Oumuamua, or "scout" or "messenger" in Hawaiian, was the first confirmed interstellar object to pass through our solar system. It was found with the Pan-STARRS1 telescope in Hawaii, and its strange path raised suspicion right away. It was on a hyperbolic course — that is, it originated outside and would never come back.

Its shape, estimated to be at least 800 meters long and only about 80 meters wide, was unlike any space rock we’ve ever seen. Even more curious was how it sped up as it left the Sun’s vicinity, a behavior typically caused by gases venting from a comet — but ‘Oumuamua showed no such tail or outgassing.

Alien Probe or Cosmic Oddity?

The unusual characteristics of 'Oumuamua spawned wild speculation, including a provocative theory from Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb. In 2018, Loeb postulated that 'Oumuamua could be a fragment of extraterrestrial technology — possibly a probe to observe our solar system. Although this hypothesis was met with fascination as well as skepticism, it kindled renewed public interest in the prospect of intelligent life outside Earth.

NASA, however, was more cautious. They recognized 'Oumuamua's strange behavior but were inclined towards natural explanations like it being a chunk of a bigger body torn apart by gravity. But so far, no consensus has been arrived at, and the discussion rages on.

Is NASA Able to Catch 'Oumuamua?

To date, 'Oumuamua is already on its way out of our solar system, so a direct mission is not a possibility using existing technology. Nevertheless, the enigmatic visitor has triggered debate at NASA and other space agencies regarding how to prepare for potential future interstellar objects.

One such project is the proposed "Project Lyra", a hypothetical mission by a private team of engineers to launch a spacecraft in pursuit of 'Oumuamua — or the next stopper like it. They contend that with fast-response launch capabilities, we could catch up to these interstellar travelers and study them close up.

The Bigger Picture

'Oumuamua's visit caused us to remember the fact that we are not alone in the universe. Things from the star systems a long, long way away can and do travel through our backyard — potentially bringing along information on other worlds, even life.

It's not a spaceship from an alien civilization, but 'Oumuamua still gave us a chance to ask questions we've long wondered about: Are we alone? Who might be out there?

NASA doesn't have a mission on its way to 'Oumuamua, but it's more vigilant than ever. The next interstellar body may not be a mystery at all—it may be a message.