Harvard Astronomer Accuses NASA of Withholding Dataโ on Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS
WASHINGTON โ – โA dispute has erupted between Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb and NASA over the agency’s delayed releaseโฃ of images โขof the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS. Loeb alleges a purposeful obstruction ofโข scientific inquiry, while โฃNASA โขattributes the delay to the impacts of the recent U.S. government shutdown. The controversyโ centers on โdata collected by NASA assets that could offer unprecedented insight into objects originating outsideโ our solar system, possibly reshaping our understanding of โinterstellar phenomena.
Loeb, a prominent figure in the search for extraterrestrial life,โ has publicly criticized NASA’s silence regarding the high-resolution images of 3I/ATLAS, the third interstellar comet to be discovered passing through our solar system.He argues that withholding the data hinders astronomers’ ability to study the objectโ before it exits our solar system.”We should not hold science hostage to the confinement policy of the moment,” Loebโ stated. He believes the delayโ limits understanding of a phenomenon that “couldโค redefine what is โฃknown about interstellarโ objects.”
NASA maintainsโ that the delay is solely due to the partial closure of โฃthe U.S. government. Agency spokespersons report that only 17% of โคstaff remains active due to the lack of federal budget approval.
The conflict escalated after Loeb revealedโ he contacted Congresswoman Anna Paulinaโ Luna following an interview with podcaster Joe Rogan, requesting official intervention. โLuna subsequently sent a letter to NASA Acting Administrator Seanโค Duffy. โDuffyโข responded โขpublicly viaโค Twitter on October 30, 2025, stating, “@NASA’s observations show that this is โthe third interstellar comet to pass through our solar system. โNo aliens.No threat to life here on Earth.”
loebโข insists theโ timely dissemination of the data – offering โa spatial resolution of 30โ kilometers per pixel – is paramount to guiding future observations of 3I/ATLAS. โคDespite NASA’s clarification, the prolonged silence andโข public exchange โคof โขstatements โคcontinueโฃ to fuel speculation about the nature of the object and whether it โrepresents something beyond a typical comet.
