A series of large-scale planetary defence drills has recently taken place worldwide, sparking speculation that governments are preparing for the unpredictable behavior of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS.
While officially presented as routine exercises, the timing and scale have drawn attention from space analysts and defence experts. The European Space Agency kicked off the sequence with a three-day simulation involving its full planetary defence system, including mission control, rapid-response modelling, and ground-based observation networks, News.Az reports, citing the Daily Star.
Japan soon followed with an accelerated asteroid-impact drill, coordinating civilian, military, and commercial satellite operators. Within two days, the US Space Force conducted a high-altitude orbital tracking rehearsal that had originally been scheduled for late 2026 but was moved forward unexpectedly.
Even countries that rarely disclose such activities, including Australia, South Korea, and Brazil, joined in joint exercises. These drills focused on data-sharing systems designed to monitor “high-velocity non-gravitationally accelerated objects,” a term likely referring to 3I/ATLAS.
These drills involved data-sharing systems built to analyse what internal documents describe as “high-velocity non-gravitationally accelerated objects,” a term that appears to reference 3I/ATLAS.