How scientists plan to stop deadly doomsday asteroid from hitting Earth

BEIJING: Chinese scientists have reportedly discovered the most effective way to destroy a doomsday asteroid aimed at protecting Earth from the destructive effects of a collision.

For human civilization, asteroids pose a significant threat, responsible for causing mass extinctions and catastrophic environmental damage.

In recent years, astronomers have frequently detected asteroids ranging from tens to hundreds of metres wide as they swept dangerously close to Earth.

According to the researchers at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, when it comes to destroying or deflecting large asteroids, “nuclear detonation” is the most effective method.

The researchers are planning to bury and detonate a nuclear device inside the asteroid as the best way to shield the planet. Especially in short warning times, this method seems more feasible, as argued by the team in a study published in Space: Science & Technology.

Because NASA’s Dart mission did not achieve the deflection within a short time frame.

Here is the downside of this methodology, as one cannot precisely assess the impact of a nuclear detonation on an asteroid. The Chinese scientists have improvised this by simulating a planetary defense method involving a spacecraft.

The spacecraft will release a penetration device to create a deep crater on an asteroid, followed by guiding a nuclear device into the crater for detonation.

The blast could be effective against small asteroids, as an explosion equivalent in size to 200 Hiroshima bombs can completely blast apart an asteroid approximately 100 meters across.

For a kilometer-scale asteroid, a deep crater detonation at 20 meters could achieve a velocity increment exceeding 30 centimeters per second away from Earth.

According the scientists, this method “can provide references for the engineering design of defence against large near-Earth asteroids.”