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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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