Avi Loeb Challenges NASA on 36-Foot 1998 KY26, Says 2031 Probe Could Prove Soviet Origin
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Nov 15
Avi Loeb Challenges NASA on 36-Foot 1998 KY26, Says 2031 Probe Could Prove Soviet Origin
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Nov 15
Summary
Avi Loeb said 1998 KY26 is “not an asteroid,” disputing NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman’s view and arguing the roughly 36-foot object may be the lost Soviet Phobos 1 spacecraft.
Loeb said KY26 shows non-gravitational acceleration, high reflectivity and a roughly five-minute rotation, and that his team found its path matches Phobos 1 while sunlight pressure could explain the extra push.
That case also leans on what KY26 lacks: Loeb said no visible tail, dust or outgassing has been detected, undercutting the competing “dark comet” explanation.
A 2031 rendezvous by Japan’s Hayabusa2 mission could settle the dispute; Loeb said his theory would be finished if the spacecraft finds ordinary rock or ice.