Scientists propose nuclear plan to stop Earth-bound asteroids

Beijing: Chinese scientists have proposed a new planetary defense strategy to deflect or destroy potentially hazardous asteroids that could collide with Earth.

According to the proposed approach, placing a nuclear device inside an asteroid and detonating it could be one of the most effective ways to deal with a major impact threat.

According to a report, researchers at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology said that large asteroids have always posed a serious threat to human civilization. In the distant past, asteroid impacts caused mass extinctions and triggered devastating environmental changes.

The scientists noted that astronomers have discovered several asteroids hundreds of meters wide passing very close to Earth in recent years prompting increased research into new planetary defense methods.

The study suggests that a nuclear explosion could be the most effective strategy for either destroying a large asteroid or deflecting it away from Earth particularly when there is very little time to respond.

Under the proposed plan, a spacecraft would first create a deep crater on the asteroid. A nuclear device would then be placed inside the crater and detonated to alter the asteroid’s trajectory or break it into smaller pieces.

According to the research, a 100-meter-wide asteroid could be completely destroyed by an explosion with a yield equivalent to 200 times the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

Similarly, detonating a nuclear device at a depth of 20 meters inside an asteroid about one kilometer wide could change its velocity enough for it to safely miss Earth. The researchers said the study could help pave the way for future planetary defense strategies against large near-Earth asteroids.