Is it still possible to send a space probe to catch up with Oumuamua? (science video).
What exactly was the enigmatic interplanetary object we call ‘Oumuamua’?
Was it a totally new kind of asteroid or comet that passed by? Or was ‘Oumuamua’ some kind of solar-sail-based extraterrestrial technology?
‘Oumuamua’ is an object that passed through our solar system in 2017, believed to be an interstellar comet or asteroid. It was first detected by the Pan-STARRS1 telescope in Hawaii and its elongated shape and high speed made scientists suspect it might be an artificial object of extra-terrestrial origin.
Since the discovery of ‘Oumuamua, there have been many discussions and speculations about whether it might be an alien spacecraft. Scientists are still trying to understand its origin and nature, but so far, we have found no concrete evidence to support the idea that it is an alien ship.
As for the possibility of sending a space probe to catch up with ‘Oumuamua, it would be an arduous task. The object is currently moving away from the Sun at a high speed, and it would require a spacecraft to be traveling at a similar speed to intercept it. Additionally, ‘Oumuamua’ is estimated to be around 400 meters long and 40 meters wide, which would make it a tiny target to locate and intercept in the vastness of space.
One of the key challenges for sending a probe to ‘Oumuamua’ would be the time it would take to reach it. The probe would need to be traveling at a significant fraction of the speed of light to catch up to ‘Oumuamua within a reasonable amount of time. Even with the most advanced propulsion technology we currently have, such a journey would take many decades, if not centuries, to complete.
Another challenge would be the distance. Oumuamua’ is currently over 200 astronomical units away from Earth and even the fastest spacecraft ever built, the Parker Solar Probe, would take over 30,000 years to reach it.
It’s also worth noting that ‘Oumuamua’ may not be a “rigid” object, and it could be a swarm of smaller objects, making a direct study of the object more difficult.
In conclusion, while the possibility of sending a space probe to catch up with ‘Oumuamua’ and discover if it is an alien spacecraft is intriguing, it would be a very challenging task. The technology to reach it, and the time and cost of such a mission would be significant, and it’s likely that any evidence of artificial origin or construction would have degraded. But, as always, new technology or breakthroughs may make this possible in the future, but for now it remains a topic of speculation and scientific curiosity.
