Sending Juno to investigate 3I/ATLAS ‘not a good idea’: Ross Coulthart

(NewsNation) — Sending the Juno spacecraft to investigate a newly-discovered interstellar object that a professor suggested could be “alien tech” isn’t a good idea, according to Ross Coulthart.

Coulthart, an investigative journalist and NewsNation Special Correspondent, joined “NewsNation Prime” on Sunday to discuss Harvard professor Avi Loeb’s claim that 3I/ATLAS could be alien tech.

Loeb co-wrote a paper submitted last month suggesting the space object, only the third such object to enter our solar system, could be “possibly hostile.” He called for it to be investigated to determine whether it’s a threat to Earth.

Comet could be ‘alien tech,’ should be investigated: Avi Loeb

Loeb wants to send NASA’s Juno spacecraft, which is currently orbiting Jupiter, to intercept the 3I/ATLAS path and study it as it comes into proximity with Jupiter on March 16, 2026.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., even called him to talk about the theory, and she asked NASA to use Juno to look into it.

“It’s inflammatory and frankly, there’s not a lot of evidence for it,” Coulthart said of Loeb’s theory that the object could be of alien origin.

“I just don’t think, from talking to many astronomers, that it’s a good idea to go diverting existing space craft – for example, Juno in orbit around Jupiter – or suggesting these are necessarily alien probes with hostile intent.”

Loeb cited the trajectory and speed of the object as reasons why it could be alien tech. However, he labeled his paper a pedagogical, or thought, exercise. He also wrote on his blog that the most likely outcome “by far” is that 3I/ATLAS “is a completely natural interstellar object, probably a comet.”

Motive behind ‘alien tech’ theory

Coulthart believes Loeb may have floated his alien tech theory to draw more attention to an area of science that he would like to see investigated more thoroughly.

“There’s a frustration among a lot of people in science, including Professor Loeb, that not enough resources are going toward looking for other techno signatures,” Coulthart said.

“I think, personally, there is a lot of merit in the broad idea of what Professor Loeb is suggesting, which is that we do need to resource the investigation of so-called techno signatures more rigidly.”

As for sending Juno to investigate 3I/ATLAS, Coulthart said it would be too big an expense and a huge diversion from its originally assigned task, which is to investigate Jupiter.