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Andreas Hein

1 articles · 2 co-authors · latest: 2026-01-05

Catching an Interstellar Wanderer with a Solar Sling

Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS is racing away, and a regular rocket can't catch it. But if you dive toward the Sun and fire the engines at peak speed, gravity acts like a giant sling. This maneuver gives a chance to reach the target in a few decades, but the probe must survive hellish heat.
arXiv:2601.02533v2 · 2026-01-05