NASA has officially activated its Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) to continuous high-alert status after new data confirmed that the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS has entered a trajectory closer to Earth’s orbital field than previously predicted. The move, typically reserved for potential impact threats, marks the first time in history that the system has been engaged for a non-asteroidal object.
According to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), 3I/ATLAS has been displaying erratic propulsion-like movements — accelerating, slowing, and altering its course without any gravitational explanation. The object’s fluctuating trajectory has baffled astronomers and prompted immediate international monitoring by both NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).
Dr. Roland Beck, a senior orbital analyst at JPL, explained:
“What we’re seeing doesn’t fit any known natural behavior. It’s as if 3I/ATLAS is responding to something — or someone.”
The defense system’s DART 2 and NEO-Surveillance satellites are now locked onto the object, collecting high-frequency and visual data around the clock. Early spectral readings show bursts of structured energy, suggesting potential artificial origin or unknown physics at play.
Elon Musk reacted to the development on X (formerly Twitter), warning:
“This isn’t just a rock. Whatever’s coming, it’s moving with intent — and we need to be ready.”
With global observatories on standby and world governments quietly preparing for any contingency, 3I/ATLAS has become more than a celestial curiosity — it’s now a planetary priority. Scientists caution that the next few weeks could redefine humanity’s understanding of what moves among the stars.
