Loeb suggests that such comets could serve as a "hitchhike" for interstellar travel. In his opinion, extraterrestrial civilizations could place small spacecraft inside a comet, using the comet itself as camouflage and a source of resources.
Observations conducted by the solar observatory SOHO confirmed this hypothesis. The observatory recorded a significant outflow of hydrogen from comet 3I/ATLAS, where, by preliminary estimates, about 13.5 million tons of water could have been lost in a month. Loeb believes that this water could be used for electrolysis, providing hydrogen and oxygen that could serve as rocket fuel.
This amount of fuel would allow the spacecraft to change its trajectory and head towards other planetary systems. The scientist also does not rule out that part of the hydrogen is associated with such processes.
Loeb points out the unusual characteristics of the comet's motion and trajectory. It moves almost in the plane of the orbits of the planets in the Solar System, and its axis of rotation is directed towards the Sun even at significant distances. Additionally, the jets of material appear symmetrical, and the ratio of nickel to iron in the composition of the comet is anomalously high. Although many of these signs can be explained by natural factors, their combination allows for alternative interpretations.
According to Loeb, placing a technological device inside a comet provides a significant advantage: such a device is practically indistinguishable from an ordinary celestial body during remote observation.
The scientist believes that a detailed study of 3I/ATLAS could reveal the presence of an energy source inside the object, necessary for the operation of a hypothetical device and fuel production. The discovery of such a source could radically change our understanding of interstellar travel.
In the future, humanity may also apply a similar approach. To do this, it will first be necessary to identify a suitable interstellar object, and then send an autonomous device equipped with a power source and an artificial intelligence system to it. Such a device could function independently of Earth and use the natural object as a means of transportation between stars.
