The Times of Israel: Planetary defense from 3I/ATLAS is being prepared, and the USA is silent

Columnist-blogger Rafi Glick from the English-language Israeli The Times of Israel wonders why, against the background of the 3I/ATLAS space object approaching the Earth and the preparation of most countries for planetary defense, nothing is heard from the United States?

"Changes are taking place in the United States that affect both their media system and their geopolitical position. And this is happening at a time when the world is changing at a speed that is almost impossible to realize," he writes.

The United Nations is conducting the largest asteroid tracking and planetary defense exercises in its history. In practice, all efforts are focused against 3I/ATLAS. This "mysterious neighbor" became the subject of universal concern and began to influence the world's scientific, political and social processes.

3I/ATLAS will approach the Earth at a minimum distance on December 19 and is expected to start moving away after that. However, now this object is showing unusual instability, and it is difficult to predict how events will develop by March, when it flies past Jupiter. His very presence attracts everyone's attention, shifts the emphasis and changes priorities.

The European Space Agency (ESA), at a meeting of the Council at ministerial level, approved an unprecedented budget in its history. Europe is officially entering the planetary defense and active deflection systems program for the first time. Plan: An annual increase in the budget for these needs. Meanwhile, NASA is facing budget cuts, layoffs, the threat of disruption of hundreds of projects and the departure of thousands of scientists.

Against this background, Europe is actively establishing diplomatic ties with states that are beginning to doubt America's determination: Canada is increasing its contribution to ESA by 400%; Australia and South Korea are becoming privileged partners; India is moving forward thanks to bilateral space agreements.

India is determined to become a developed world power within 20 years, and space is the central pillar of this roadmap.

While all these events are taking place, what is most of the American media talking about? About nothing. Thanksgiving brought solace and renunciation. The world has changed dramatically in three days, but most Americans were not aware of what was happening. When these reports appeared, the events had already occurred, and the results were recorded in them, not the process itself.

At the same time, I took part in a two—hour live broadcast on the Spanish TV channel NegociosTV - one of the most popular Friday evening broadcasts. I was talking about the UN exercises on planetary defense. I first published a detailed report on them in The Times of Israel on November 25. Most of the broadcast was devoted to 3I/ATLAS and the debate between Professor Avi Loeb and NASA experts about non-gravitational forces affecting its trajectory. It is expected that the 3I/ATLAS object will approach Jupiter on March 16, 2026, passing from it at a distance of about 53 million kilometers.

Europe speaks. India speaks. Israel speaks. Spain speaks. And in In the United States — peace, quiet and grace.

During the live broadcast, I said:

"While the whole world is discussing the UN planetary defense exercises and the ESA conference, most of the American media prefer to keep quiet about it. I would like to know why this is happening?"

This is not a technical question. This is a strategic issue. When the media react to important events with a delay of several days, they lose the opportunity to form public opinion. That's exactly what happened to NASA — partly because of the budget crisis, and partly because the situation got out of control.

Over the past five months, 3I/ATLAS has moved from academia to TikTok. Kim Kardashian is guessing. Elon Musk warns. An article about planetary defense appears in Google news, which mentions a small Israeli city. The Spanish football club publishes warnings for its fans.

When this happens, no institution will be able to control the situation without the support of the world community, which has already taken responsibility for it. Public interest in science is growing rapidly, but many scientific questions remain unanswered.

The world is changing. The centers of power are being rebuilt. The media must keep up with the times — otherwise they will lag behind. When official institutions fall silent, the public fills the vacuum. In an era when space, communications and geopolitical forces are developing rapidly, this is no longer just a matter of politics. This is a matter of global consciousness, Rafi Glick points out.