A renowned physicist from Harvard University, Avi Loeb, is planning a $1.5 million ocean expedition to Papua New Guinea in search of an object that he believes is an alien artefact that fell from space into the ocean.
Loeb discovered the object in 2019, and it was confirmed in April 2022 by the Department of Defense’s space command to be the first interstellar meteor discovered, meaning it came from outside our solar system. Loeb’s team also concluded that the meteor is tougher than any of the 272 other meteors listed in NASA’s catalogue of near-Earth objects.
To further investigate the object, Loeb is organizing a two-week expedition with a team of experts to search for meteor fragments on the ocean floor at a depth of 1.7km off the coast of Manus Island. If they can analyze the fragments’ composition, they may be able to determine whether the object is of natural or artificial origin. The team has designed and manufactured a sledge, magnets, collection nets, and a mass spectrometer for the expedition.
Loeb believes that there is a possibility that the meteor is artificial in origin, launched by a distant technological civilization a billion years ago. The ocean expedition will involve towing a sledge mounted with magnets, cameras, and lights inside a 10km x 10km search box.
The team will conduct seven sledge operations, and a scientific team will join them. The search area has been narrowed down to a relatively small box using several sources.
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