Nuclear Explosion Proposed to Deflect Asteroid

A new method has been proposed to neutralize large asteroids that could threaten Earth. Chinese scientists studied whether using a nuclear device on an asteroid nearly 100 meters in diameter could alter its trajectory or break it apart. The Independent reported this.

Researchers at China’s Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology tested various scenarios through computer modeling. They concluded that first creating a deeper crater on the asteroid’s surface and then placing the device in that area could increase the effectiveness of the explosion.

Calculations indicate that detonating a nuclear device at a depth of approximately 30 meters beneath the asteroid’s surface would be much more effective at changing its trajectory than a shallower explosion. The study also examined whether 200 devices with the yield of the Hiroshima bomb could break apart an asteroid about 100 meters in diameter.

Scientists believe this technology could be important if a hazardous asteroid were approaching Earth within a short time. In some situations, there might not be enough time to redirect the asteroid safely using other methods.

Other practical experiments in asteroid defense have also been conducted. For example, during NASA’s 2022 DART mission, a spacecraft was deliberately crashed into an asteroid, successfully altering its orbit.

At the same time, the researchers emphasize that the nuclear approach remains theoretical and is still at the modeling stage. The new study could help improve technologies for protecting Earth from large celestial bodies that may pose a threat in the future.