Chinese rocket scientists find ‘most effective’ way to nuke a doomsday asteroid

Chinese researchers have devised a strategy they believe is the most effective for neutralizing an asteroid on a collision course with Earth: burying a nuclear device deep within its surface. The proposed method involves a two-stage approach using uncrewed spacecraft.

The initial step requires a metal penetrator to bore a deep hole into the asteroid. Subsequently, a second spacecraft would deliver a nuclear bomb into this cavity. The researchers, affiliated with the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology in Beijing, detailed their findings in the journal Space: Science & Technology.

Their simulations indicate that a 3-megaton nuclear explosion, equivalent to 200 Hiroshima bombs, could completely obliterate an asteroid approximately 100 meters in diameter. Crucially, burying the bomb 30 meters below the surface could more than triple the change in the asteroid's velocity compared to a surface detonation. This significantly enhances its capability to alter the asteroid's trajectory.

The team argues that this buried-bomb approach, while reminiscent of the film "Armageddon," presents lower technical challenges and superior defensive capabilities compared to simply impacting the asteroid with a bomb. By strategically choosing the burial site and depth, engineers can achieve a more controlled and effective deflection than a random surface impact.