Solar Oberth Maneuver Proposed for Mission to Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS

A proposed mission aims to send a spacecraft to intercept interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS using a high-speed maneuver near the Sun. This concept outlines a possible launch in 2035, with the goal of reaching the comet decades later as it travels away from the solar system.

The mission would rely on a Solar Oberth maneuver, which involves firing rockets when the spacecraft is closest to the Sun. This technique is designed to maximize velocity gain, enabling the spacecraft to catch up with the rapidly departing comet at a distance of about 732 astronomical units from the Sun by 2085.

To achieve the necessary speed, the spacecraft would perform the maneuver at approximately 3.2 solar radii from the Sun’s center. The required velocity change, or delta-V, is calculated to be at least 8.4 kilometers per second, according to the mission concept.

The proposed spacecraft would have a mass of around 500 kilograms, similar to NASA’s New Horizons probe. Additional mass would be allocated for heat shielding and solid-rocket boosters to withstand the extreme conditions near the Sun and to provide the necessary propulsion during the maneuver.

What the numbers show

• Launch is proposed for 2035, with an intercept by 2085
• Delta-V requirements range from 8.36 km/s (50-year flight) to 10.36 km/s (30-year flight
• 3I/ATLAS reached perihelion at 1.4 AU from the Sun on October 30, 2025

Comet 3I/ATLAS was discovered on July 1, 2025, by the ATLAS survey telescope in Chile. It is recognized as the third confirmed interstellar object to pass through the solar system, following a hyperbolic path at high speed.

During its journey through the solar system, 3I/ATLAS made its closest approach to the Sun at a distance of about 1.4 astronomical units and passed nearest to Earth at roughly 1.8 astronomical units in December 2025. The comet reached speeds of approximately 153,000 miles per hour at perihelion and is continuing outward into interstellar space.

Simulation studies published by a research team indicate that an intercept using a Solar Oberth maneuver would be feasible if the mission launches in 2035. These studies cite favorable alignments among Earth, Jupiter, the Sun, and 3I/ATLAS as key factors supporting the mission’s viability.

The Oberth effect, which is central to the mission design, enables a spacecraft to achieve greater velocity by conducting propulsion burns at the point of closest approach to a massive body, in this case, the Sun. This approach is necessary to match the high speed of the departing comet and reach it before it leaves the solar system entirely.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.