In 2017, astronomers spotted something no one had ever seen before — ‘Oumuamua, the first known interstellar object to fly through our Solar System. It came from another star… and vanished just as quickly.

Traveling at over 32 km per second, it sparked a global awakening: if we want to study these cosmic drifters, we need to act fast.

Now, NASA and ESA are preparing to chase the next one. From ESA’s Comet Interceptor to NASA’s Bridge mission, new tech like AI, solar sails, and spacecraft swarms could finally let us intercept an interstellar visitor in real time.

And with the upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory, we may soon detect dozens of these mysterious objects each year.

The next visitor could be on its way.
Will we be ready to meet it?