Stefanie Milam
Stefanie Milam is an astrochemist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. She co-investigated the JWST NIRSpec isotopic study of 3i-atlas and contextualized its findings in terms of prebiotic chemistry and the universality of life’s conditions.
Key work
- Co-investigator on “Isotopic evidence for a cold and distant origin of 3I/ATLAS” (Nature, June 2026)
- Framed 3I/ATLAS isotopic data in terms of prebiotic chemistry: the object’s ancient origin suggests the chemical building blocks for life were present billions of years before our Solar System
Notable quotes
“For us as scientists, finding these rare isotopes is fascinating, but the bigger picture here is looking at prebiotic chemistry elsewhere in the galaxy.” — June 2026
“Analysis of these interstellar objects is a major step towards learning how common, or uncommon, the conditions for the evolution of life are in the universe.” — June 2026
Sources
- src-3i-atlas-jwst-isotopic-age-2026-06
- src-3i-atlas-nasa-webb-ancient-2026-06 — official NASA Science write-up adds the quote: “We know of only one place in the vast cosmos where chemical ingredients led to life – our solar system, our Earth.”