What would it take to accelerate to Interstellar space by a NASA spacecraft deliberately, within a time that is short enough that the people who designed it and studied it will be available to analyze ...

A solar sail is no longer just a graceful idea for propellant-free flight; it is becoming a materials and deployment problem that engineers are finally learning how to solve. That shift matters ...

In late 2025 a mysterious comet flew between the orbits of Earth and Mars and reached a speed of more than 150,000 miles per hour during its closest approach to the sun. The rare interstellar guest ...

Are we hitching our wagon to the wrong star? Harvard scientist Avi Loeb has slammed a seemingly far-fetched proposal to intercept interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS with a spacecraft, claiming that we’re ...

The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS was confirmed in July 2025 as the third known object to visit our solar system from interstellar space. Despite conspiracy theories, scientists say 3I/ATLAS shows all ...

Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS provided scientists with an exceptionally rare opportunity to study the nature of other planetary systems beyond our own. It was first discovered in July of last year, ...

The Princeton-led NASA mission has officially begun its science mission to study the sun and everything it touches. Princeton marked the occasion with a panel discussion, science talks and a reception ...

The arrival of 3I/ATLAS in our solar system spawned multiple proposals for a rendezvous mission to study it up close. As the third interstellar object (ISO) ever detected, the wealth of information ...

The JUICE spacecraft captured its first detailed glimpse of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, revealing a glowing coma and ...

Suggested Citation: "Appendix A Statement of Task." National Research Council. 2004. Exploration of the Outer Heliosphere and the Local Interstellar Medium: A Workshop Report. Washington, DC: The ...