A former NASA surgeon’s remarks hint at a profound revision to our cosmic understanding. The newly discovered interstellar object, 3I/ATLAS, may contain unusual nickel alloys devoid of iron, a composition that directly challenges current scientific conceptions of what space wanderers are made of.
This striking revelation could force astronomers and planetary scientists to re-evaluate their foundational models for objects journeying from beyond our solar system.
Iron-Free Nickel Alloys Challenge Views on Interstellar Objects
The interstellar object 3I/ATLAS has drawn considerable attention for its highly unusual chemical makeup, prompting scientists to speculate about its origins and composition. Dr Gregory Rogers, who previously served as a US Air Force flight surgeon and Chief of Aerospace Medicine at Cape Canaveral, stated that the object’s chemistry is unlike anything that naturally forms within our own solar system.
Unlike most typical celestial bodies — such as asteroids, comets, and planets — that have nickel and iron in balanced proportions, 3I/ATLAS seems to be composed of nickel alloys with no substantial iron content.
Rogers, whose extensive experience with spacecraft chemistry includes work on the Space Shuttle, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the Voyager probes, highlighted that iron is typically unsuitable for construction, which is why human-made vehicles use nickel alloys instead.
‘When we study the chemistry of 3I/ATLAS, one of the things that we see is that there’s no iron there appreciably, but there are nickel alloys that are very similar to the nickel alloys that we use in our spacecraft’, Rogers said.
An Interstellar Anomaly Sparks Debate
He emphasised that naturally formed cosmic objects almost always contain iron along with nickel, making 3I/ATLAS’s composition exceptionally strange. Furthermore, separating nickel from iron and creating these specialised nickel alloys requires a complicated manufacturing process used only by humans.
‘If these are nickel alloys being used for 3I/ATLAS for the same reasons that we would use it for our satellites and space probes, then that means somebody manufactured it because iron should be there and it’s not’, Rogers said.
Dr. Gregory Rogers, former USAF flight surgeon and Chief of Aerospace Medicine at Cape Canaveral explains how humans use nickel without iron for our space craft. The fact 3i/atlas has nickel WITHOUT iron is a clear indicator #3iATLAS is not natural.
In 36 hours 3I/ATLAS will be… pic.twitter.com/BY7PJEHfqV
— 3i ATLAS CTO ON BNB CHAIN (@3iAtlas_BNB) October 27, 2025
According to Dr Rogers’ video, which was shared by X user ‘3I/ATLAS CTO’s on BNB Chain’, the object will emerge from behind the Sun and become observable within 36 hours. The same post also drew attention to an upcoming discussion with Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb on the Joe Rogan podcast, which is anticipated to offer additional analysis.
3I/ATLAS has also been associated with a cryptocurrency, $3iATLAS, operating on the BNB Chain, highlighting the growing public interest in the object and the potential technological consequences of its existence.
While Rogers did not speculate beyond the chemical findings, he indicated that the unique makeup of 3I/ATLAS could lead to profound consequences. He advised viewers that the discovery is significant enough to justify scrutiny. ‘I wanted to put this information out. This is a very important finding’, he said.
As the object grows more visible, astronomers and space enthusiasts will likely track its path, chemistry, and activity with great interest. Scientists aim to determine whether it is a natural interstellar object or a manufactured structure. This finding could overturn current beliefs about how bodies move and interact within our solar system.
The observation of 3I/ATLAS, combined with its anomalous chemistry, has reignited discussion of the demarcation between natural and manufactured objects in space. Scientists warn that further research is crucial before reaching firm conclusions, yet many agree that the object warrants thorough examination due to its unique characteristics.
Harvard Scientist Alerts to Manhattan-Sized Comet
While the unusual chemistry of 3I/ATLAS forces a rethink on what interstellar objects are made of, Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb has cautioned that the comet could be a ‘black swan event’, a rare, unpredictable incident with potentially vast repercussions for mankind.
Loeb, who suggests the object could be of alien origin, noted that information from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope indicates 3I/ATLAS might possess a mass equivalent to 33 billion tons.
‘It’s at least a thousand times more massive than any other interstellar object we’ve seen’, he said, as NewsNation reported. ‘The question is, why has such a giant object entered our solar system now?’
Odd and Anomalous Activity
According to Loeb, 3I/ATLAS has displayed several unexpected features. It exhibits an ‘anti-tail’, which is a stream of particles directed toward the Sun rather than away, which is contrary to the typical behaviour of comets.
The object is also emitting a cloud of nickel but shows no indications of iron, which the scientific community deems highly irregular. Loeb pointed out that nickel tetracarbonyl, the compound being discharged, has been observed only in human industrial processes and never naturally.
The comet’s non-gravitational acceleration is another mystery. It is increasing speed and altering its course in ways that cannot be accounted for by gravity alone. Its trajectory will soon bring it near Jupiter, Venus, and Mars, further piquing scientists’ interest.
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