Spacecraft in deep space, along with data from upcoming observatories like the James Webb Space Telescope, are expected to provide the most crucial insights into the origin, composition, and history of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS.

These combined observations could confirm that 3I/ATLAS originated during the 'Cosmic Noon' period, 2 to 3 billion years after the Big Bang, when star formation was at its peak, potentially making it one of the oldest objects ever observed in the solar system.

Discovered on July 1, 2025, 3I/ATLAS offers a rare opportunity to study materials from the early galaxy, providing valuable clues about the conditions during the prolific star formation era known as 'Cosmic Noon'.

Scientists are particularly interested in analyzing 3I/ATLAS to understand more about this period of intense star formation, which occurred billions of years after the Big Bang.

Spectroscopic analysis of 3I/ATLAS’s gas and dust tail during perihelion could reveal details about its formation temperature, helping to confirm its origin during the 'Cosmic Noon' era and shedding light on early star system conditions.

While ground-based observations will be limited when 3I/ATLAS reaches perihelion on the opposite side of the Sun, space missions can still gather valuable data before it leaves the Solar System.

Initial observations suggest 3I/ATLAS entered the Solar System at a nearly parallel angle to the plane of the Solar System, and evidence indicates it is a dynamically old object with fewer supervolatiles, hinting at its unique origin.

Upcoming close approaches in November 2025 will allow space missions like NASA's Europa Clipper, ESA's JUICE, and Mars orbiters to observe and analyze 3I/ATLAS, especially its tail and outgassing during perihelion.

These missions will provide critical spectral and imaging data that Earth-based telescopes cannot, offering insights into the object's internal composition and its formation history.

Space-based observations from various missions are essential for studying 3I/ATLAS, particularly during perihelion, to gather data on its tail, outgassing, and internal structure.

Such observations could reveal details about early star system formation and the conditions of the 'Cosmic Noon' period, which are impossible to obtain from Earth-based telescopes.

Research indicates that 3I/ATLAS likely originated from the galactic thick disk, home to the oldest stars over 10 billion years old, and its trajectory suggests it was ejected from a star system in that region.