Scientists explore firing nuke ‘millions of miles’ into space to stop catastrophic asteroid

This month, a study explored possibility of firing a nuclear weapon "millions of miles" into to avert a catastrophic asteroid impact on Earth. Scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) created a modeling tool to evaluate feasibility of launching a nuclear weapon "millions of miles" into . This research follows NASA's successful 2022 mission that redirected a massive asteroid.

newly developed tool, outlined in Planetary Science Journal, enables scientists to explore alternative options after NASA utilized a kinetic impactor, specifically a craft, to alter course of 2022 asteroid in Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission.

LLNL physicist Mary Burkey, who was he of research team said in a statement, “If we have eugh warning time, we could potentially launch a nuclear device, sending it millions of miles away to an asteroid that is heed toward Earth.”

Nuclear devices possess a higher energy density per unit compared to kinetic impactor utilized by ncy, making m a potentially more effective method against asteroids, as pointed out by Burkey.

Upon device's impact with asteroid, two potential scenarios may unfold.

“We would n detonate device and eir deflect asteroid, keeping it intact but providing a controlled push away from Earth, or we could disrupt asteroid, breaking it up into small, fast-moving fragments that would also miss planet,” Burkey ded.

LLNL utilizes sophisticated multi-physics simulations to analyze various factors, determining potential success of a nuclear deflection mission, Burkey explained.

In event of an actual threat to Earth, modeling would assist decision-makers in formulating strategies to counter an asteroid, stated LLNL’s planetary defense project le Megan Bruck Syal.

“While probability of a large asteroid impact during our lifetime is low, potential consequences could be devastating,” Bruck ded.

Yet, re are associated risks with launching a nuclear device toward an asteroid.

Fragments from shattered asteroid might still pose a threat to Earth, as ted by an asteroid expert in a previous conversation with New York Post.

“If you miscalculate energy you need to destroy it, you may make a lot of fragments,” said Dr. Patrick Michel.