Planetary defense was activated for the 3I/ATLAS event due to its anomalous characteristics, which deviated from what is expected of natural comets, raising scientific curiosity and concern about potential implications. The object exhibits an unusual composition, a trajectory that is statistically unlikely, and other behaviors that warrant close monitoring to understand if it’s a natural phenomenon or has artificial origins. Its path is closely aligned with the solar system’s ecliptic plane, which is a statistically improbable alignment for an interstellar object. It is the fastest and one of the largest interstellar objects ever detected. The International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN), the main planetary defense body of which NASA and ESA are also members, will soon launch a monitoring campaign on the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS.