science ๐ Nuking asteroids could be our last shot ๐ฅ
Researchers from the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology explored methods to use nuclear blasts against space rocks. They analyzed two scenarios for potentially stopping Near-Earth Asteroids, of which 10,933 are over 140m wide as of July 2024. The first mode involves direct detonation, while the second suggests pre-excavating a deep crater using kinetic projectiles. Simulations show that detonating a nuke inside a 30-m crater increases velocity change significantly compared to a surface blast. This suggests deep penetration is key to changing an asteroid's dangerous orbit.