NASA to Brief Congress on Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS as Shutdown Stalls Data Release

Overview

• NASA officials plan to speak with Rep. Anna Paulina Luna on Wednesday after her request for 3I/ATLAS imagery and records, according to DefenseScoop.
• Federal agencies say personnel continue monitoring the object during the shutdown, with NASA intending to publish findings once the government reopens.
• The Pentagon’s AARO says 3I/ATLAS is assessed as a comet and not a UAP, and NASA’s acting administrator has stated it poses no threat to Earth.
• High‑resolution HiRISE images taken from Mars on Oct. 2–3 have not been shared broadly, prompting public calls from Harvard’s Avi Loeb and others for rapid access.
• Data show rapid brightening, a distinct blue appearance, and measurable non‑gravitational acceleration; most scientists favor an unusual natural comet explanation, while a minority argues artificial propulsion remains a hypothesis to test ahead of the Dec. 19 closest approach at about 167 million miles, with coordinated observation campaigns set from late November through January.