ESO/M. Kornmesser Researchers plan to look for unidentified aerial phenomena in the atmosphere that could be aliens. Harvard physicist Avi Loeb leads the project. He thinks the interstellar object 'Oumuamua was an alien ship. Insider Healthcare: Get the latest healthcare news and analysis. Loading Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. When the first interstellar object ever observed, 'Oumuamua, careened past Earth in 2017, it seemed to be accelerating. That's not what most space rocks do — which is in part why Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb says 'Oumuamua was an alien spaceship.