It IS possible to win it with a clear timing (been there, done that, got killed oodles of times, made it only once) But, as the deluxe levels show, you can wait when UFO and you are exactly "one" tile away, and when UFO starts going in "your" tile move again. You and UFO will pass each other without a shot being fired.
Just in case someone doesn't know this trick and tries to do the (almost) impossible timing on There' got to be another way.
