Key Point Summary – Can NASA Probe Juno Study 31/ATLAS

• Congresswoman Luna urged NASA to study using Juno for 31/ATLAS
• Harvard’s Avi Loeb says object’s trajectory is bizarre and rare
• 31/ATLAS may be artificial or even alien in origin
• Juno could intercept the object in March 2026
• The object glows from the front and lacks normal comet traits
• No telescope can resolve its shape—only a spacecraft flyby can
• Public and scientific pressure on NASA is mounting fast

Is NASA About to Go Interstellar?

A fiery letter from Congress just hit NASA’s desk—and it might change everything.

Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb lit the fuse. Now Florida Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna is turning up the heat. At the center of the debate: the mysterious interstellar object 31/ATLAS, and the aging NASA spacecraft Juno—scheduled for a fiery death next year.

Instead of letting Juno plunge into Jupiter’s atmosphere, Loeb has another idea: send it on a final mission—to chase 31/ATLAS. And Luna agrees.

Is This Rock… Not a Rock?

31/ATLAS is unlike anything scientists have seen. It doesn’t rotate like a normal comet. It has no visible tail. And strangely, it glows at the front, not the back.

That eerie glow could be natural—or it could be something else entirely.

Scientists can’t explain the brightness unless the object is 10–20 kilometers wide. But if that’s the case, there’s a major problem. Based on known interstellar debris, an object this big should only pass through our solar system once every 10,000 years. Yet here it is—barely 10 years after `Oumuamua, the first known interstellar visitor.

Coincidence? Loeb doesn’t think so.

Juno Could Fly Again

Instead of letting Juno burn in Jupiter’s clouds, Loeb proposes a bold twist: fire the engines and fling the probe toward 31/ATLAS. With just the right timing—and if fuel allows—Juno could intercept the object by March 2026.

And if full interception isn’t possible? Even a close pass could give us humanity’s first real image of an interstellar object.

No telescope on Earth can get a clear look. But a camera aboard Juno could.

Congresswoman Luna Takes Action

On July 29, Luna phoned Loeb directly. She wanted answers. She got them.

And just hours later, she sent a formal letter to NASA urging them to study the feasibility of using Juno as an interstellar scout. The letter is now public. And it’s gone viral.

Thousands of space enthusiasts are watching. Some are demanding answers. Others are whispering one word: aliens.

Public Reaction: Electric

The response has been explosive.

On social media, hashtags like #SendJuno, #31ATLAS, and #AlienTech? are trending. Podcasters are eating it up. Joe Rogan fans are flooding comment sections. Reddit threads are spinning wild theories.

“This could be it,” wrote one user. “The first real contact.”

Others aren’t so sure. “Don’t jump to conclusions,” warned another. “Could be just a weird rock.”

Even NASA has remained tight-lipped. So far.

Something About That Trajectory…

Here’s where it gets strange. The path of 31/ATLAS through the solar system is statistically freakish. It lines up with the orbits of our inner planets—a 0.2% chance. And it passes close to Jupiter, Mars, and Venus—a 0.005% chance.

It’s as if it was aiming for us.

Naturally, that led to the big question Loeb has heard dozens of times: Could it be under intelligent control?

His answer: We can’t rule it out.

The Loeb Scale: A New Way to Measure the Unknown

Loeb wants to do more than just observe. He’s proposing a new global framework: The Loeb Scale.

Just like the Richter scale measures earthquakes, this one would rank interstellar objects by how likely they are to be artificial. Zero would mean “natural asteroid.” Ten? “Technological object with lights and propulsion.”

Where does 31/ATLAS rank now? Unknown. But the scale could guide future government responses—including how and when to notify the public.

Because if an object ever scores an eight, nine… or ten?

Humanity needs to be ready.

NASA Under Pressure

With Congress involved, NASA faces a tight clock.

Juno’s end-of-life burn is set for September 2025. To divert it in time, NASA would need to act within weeks. A mild engine burn could steer it closer to the interstellar path—enough for photos, maybe even data collection.

But no one knows how much fuel Juno really has left.

That information—and the engineering math—are top secret.

From Sci-Fi to Reality

“This is like 2001: A Space Odyssey, but real,” Loeb said. “Except it’s 2026, not fiction.”

And he’s right.

A probe built to study Jupiter could soon become humanity’s first ambassador to another star system. And if the object it visits turns out to be more than dust and ice?

We’ll remember the letter that changed it all.

What’s Next?

NASA must now respond to Luna’s letter. A feasibility study could begin immediately—or be quietly shelved. But the public isn’t waiting. Pressure is mounting. Science influencers, journalists, and millions of space fans want answers.

Because this time, we’re not watching a movie. This time, it’s real.

And the clock is ticking.