Catching an Interstellar Wanderer with a Solar Sling ⚡ экспресс
The feasibility of reaching the third interstellar object 3I/ATLAS via an Oberth solar maneuver (SOM) with chemical propulsion was studied. Modeling optimal interplanetary trajectories showed that among launches from 2031 to 2037, 2035 is the most efficient. The baseline scenario assumes a SOM at 3.2 solar radii and target interception within 35–50 years. Maximum spacecraft mass is about 500 kg. The required impulse can be provided by two or three solid rocket boosters or a reusable Starship Block 3 after refueling in low Earth orbit. A portion of the payload is inevitably allocated for thermal protection against the intense solar radiation at perihelion.
Spinning a sling, we whirl a stone. Its speed builds, and if released at the lowest point, it flies farthest. In space, the gravity of the Sun acts as the strap: the probe dives as close to the star as possible, and at the moment of maximum speed, a brief engine thrust—like a yank of the hand—gives it a huge boost.
This maneuver would allow us to catch up to the departing interstellar object 3I/ATLAS. To work, the probe must pass within just 3.2 solar radii of the Sun's center—almost through its scorching corona. At that point, the heat is thousands of times more intense than at Earth; only a powerful heat shield will save the spacecraft from destruction. If we can launch by 2035, in 35–50 years we'll get the first images and samples of matter from another planetary system.
🎯 The closest approach to the Sun is 2.2 million km. That's six times farther than the Moon, but the heat there is thousands of times more intense than in Earth's orbit.
🎬 Arthur C. Clarke in 'The Wind from the Sun' sent yachts racing to the Sun for a prize, and now we're turning the star itself into a fiery sling for a chase.