A nuclear explosion could serve as the most reliable shield for our planet in the event of a large-scale space threat. Researchers from the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology not only endorsed this idea but also developed an optimal strategy for its implementation. The results of their modeling have been published in the scientific journal Space: Science & Technology.
A team led by Wang Xiaowei proposes abandoning surface explosions in favor of a clever tactical maneuver: first, “carve out” a cavity in the asteroid, place a nuclear warhead inside it, and only then detonate it. This method would effectively shatter or deflect space objects with a diameter of about 100 m, thereby averting a global catastrophe.
Potential threat
Asteroids are rocky remnants of the Solar System’s building material that have been orbiting our sun for 4.6 billion years. According to NASA, astronomers are currently aware of more than 16,000 objects approaching Earth. Nearly 1,800 of them are classified as “potentially hazardous”—these are bodies with a diameter of more than 140 meters whose orbits pass within 7.5 million kilometers of our planet.
Being on this list does not mean a collision is certain, but it does prompt scientists to stay alert. For example, the recently discovered asteroid 2024 YR4 caused astronomers some concern due to an initial 3.1 percent probability of a collision in 2032. Subsequent calculations, however, reduced this risk to zero. Nevertheless, this case has once again demonstrated that humanity needs a clear plan of action.
Why doesn’t the ram-body method always work?
In 2022, NASA successfully tested kinetic impactor technology: the DART spacecraft collided with an asteroid and altered its course. However, Chinese experts claim that if the threat is larger than 100 meters and there is little time before impact, a conventional kinetic impact will prove ineffective.
This is where the immense energy of the atom comes into play. The authors of the study considered two scenarios:
- A direct strike, which creates a small crater upon impact.
- The use of a special penetration module that drills a deep shaft to cause maximum internal destruction.
Detonation from within
After testing both options on models of real virtual asteroids using charges of varying strengths, the scientists reached a clear conclusion. The method involving an explosion preceded by the creation of a deep crater is the clear favorite.
Thanks to the autonomous selection of the optimal point of impact and the warhead’s deep penetration, the explosive energy is absorbed by the celestial body as completely as possible. This literally tears the threat into tiny pieces from the inside. And although the Earth’s horizon is clear today, astrophysicists are convinced that space weapons must be prepared in advance to avoid finding ourselves in a situation where it’s already too late.
Earlier, we discussed how an asteroid could destroy Moscow.
According to Gizmodo
