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A first-of-its-kind research conducted on the possibility of using a nuclear explosion on an asteroid to save Earth found that the manoeuver could help in deflecting it away and thus prevent it from hitting our planet.

The research titled Simulation of asteroid deflection with a megajoule-class X-ray pulse concluded that detonating a nuclear explosion near the asteroid would result in the generation of high-energy X-rays that would deviate its path and save the planet from mass destruction.

Why is this important?

Let’s imagine astronomers spot a dangerously sized asteroid heading toward us.

If the space rock is small enough and detected at least a decade in advance, we could use a spacecraft called a kinetic impactor, such as DART: In September 2022, NASA intentionally crashed an uncrewed, semi-autonomous spacecraft the size of a van into a (harmless) 560-foot asteroid named Dimorphos at 14,000 miles per hour, significantly changing its orbit.

If we have fewer than about 10 years before impact, or that asteroid is large enough to devastate an entire country, then something like DART may not save us. With very large asteroids, even with plenty of advance notice, “a kinetic impactor, or even a fleet of kinetic impactors, may not be sufficient to prevent an Earth impact.

But a nuclear warhead might be able to deliver the formidable amount of energy and momentum required to save the planet.

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