A United Nations for the Stars: Building a Global Effort to Study Interstellar Visitors
Omer Eldadi, Gershon Tenenbaum, and Abraham Loeb propose the creation of a new international organization, the United Nations Committee on Interstellar Objects (UNCIO). As humanity’s ability to detect interstellar objects (ISOs) improves, especially through the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s upcoming Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), the authors argue that the world must prepare to coordinate rapid and comprehensive studies of these rare visitors from other star systems.
Discovering Visitors from Beyond
Until recently, interstellar objects were only theoretical. That changed with the discovery of 1I/‘Oumuamua in 2017, followed by 2I/Borisov in 2019, and most recently 3I/ATLAS in 2025. Each object has exhibited unique behavior: ‘Oumuamua’s unexplained acceleration, Borisov’s comet-like tail, and ATLAS’s unusual alignment and size. These discoveries transformed ISOs from scientific curiosities into a new field requiring international attention. With LSST expected to detect one ISO every few months, Eldadi and colleagues emphasize the need for a shift from chance discovery to systematic exploration, potentially including the search for signs of extraterrestrial technology.
Lessons from Global Science
To justify UNCIO’s structure, the authors draw parallels to successful global scientific collaborations such as CERN, the International Space Station, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. These institutions show that international partnerships can tackle complex, expensive projects no single nation could handle alone. The proposed UNCIO would similarly bring together governments, scientists, and private companies under a unified framework to study ISOs. Its leadership would include an executive board for urgent decisions, headed by Harvard astrophysicist Abraham Loeb, and an expanded committee ensuring representation from scientists, governments, and the public.
Coordinating the Hunt
UNCIO’s technical backbone would be the Global ISO Monitoring System (GIMS), linking existing telescopes and data systems to detect and classify ISOs within hours. The organization would also maintain Rapid Scientific Mission Program (RSMP) spacecraft, ready to launch within 30 days for flyby, rendezvous, or sample-return missions. The authors introduce the Loeb Scale, a new 0–10 system for classifying ISOs by their level of anomaly and potential artificial origin, where levels 4 and above trigger urgent international responses.
From Discovery to Diplomacy
UNCIO would not only coordinate science but also manage the ethics of potential contact. The paper describes cautious “communication readiness protocols” for cases where an ISO shows signs of artificial design. Before sending any message, the UN Security Council and scientific advisors would deliberate on risks, ensuring that no signal is transmitted to objects on trajectories that might endanger Earth. This balance between curiosity and caution reflects a recognition that some interstellar discoveries could have profound implications.
Engaging a Global Public
Eldadi and colleagues envision ISO science as a public enterprise. The Global Interstellar Object Tracker (GIOT) website would allow anyone to follow live updates, see visualizations of ISO paths, and access educational materials in multiple languages. This approach, the authors argue, transforms ISO tracking from an elite scientific activity into a shared global experience that could inspire future scientists and maintain public trust.
A Call for Action
The paper concludes that establishing UNCIO is both feasible and urgent. The investment, estimated at about one-tenth the cost of the James Webb Space Telescope, would yield enormous returns in scientific knowledge and global cooperation. As Eldadi writes, each ISO passing through our solar system is a fleeting opportunity: a sample from another world, or perhaps another civilization. UNCIO, the authors argue, would ensure that no such opportunity is ever missed again.
Source: Eldadi
