A group of scientists believes it is still possible to catch up with the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, which is currently moving away from the solar system at high speed. The key to this ambitious plan lies in executing a risky maneuver: igniting the spacecraft's engines during a close flyby of the Sun to leverage the so-called Oberth effect. This technique could potentially give the spacecraft the necessary speed to intercept the comet in the distant future.

The study suggests that if the mission were launched in 2035, it could intercept 3I/ATLAS around 2085, at a staggering distance of approximately 732 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun, which is about 109 billion kilometers. For comparison, the farthest active probe, Voyager 1, is currently about 170 AU away after nearly the same duration in travel. This ambitious timeline underscores the vast distances involved in interstellar exploration and the challenges scientists face in making such missions feasible.

To cover the enormous distance to the interstellar comet, researchers plan to exploit the Oberth effect, formulated in 1929 by the Austro-Hungarian engineer Hermann Oberth. The principle suggests that a spacecraft falling under the influence of gravity can achieve greater velocity when its engines are fired at the closest point to a massive body, like the Sun. This could offer significant energy gains that are crucial for reaching the comet at such unprecedented distances, highlighting both the ingenuity and risks of pursuing this extraordinary goal.