China proposes destroying threatening asteroids with a nuclear explosion 200 times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb

A group of Chinese scientists has put forward an ambitious proposal to protect Earth from asteroids that could pose a threat to the planet.

The plan envisages using space probes and a controlled nuclear explosion to destroy the asteroid before it approaches Earth, media outlets report.

The project was developed by researchers at the China Rocket Research Institute in Beijing and, according to the South China Morning Post, is linked to China’s efforts to strengthen its planetary defense capabilities.

The operation would be carried out in two consecutive stages.

In the first phase, a probe would collide with the asteroid to create a large crater on its surface. In the second phase, another probe would place a nuclear bomb inside the crater, where it would then be detonated to break the asteroid apart from within.

The projected force of the explosion is around three megatons, or approximately equivalent to 200 atomic bombs used in Hiroshima.

According to the researchers’ estimates, this approach would be particularly useful for large asteroids or objects detected only a short time before their approach to Earth.

Beijing’s proposal follows NASA’s DART mission, which deliberately crashed a probe into the asteroid Dimorphos in 2022 in order to alter its trajectory.

During that mission, the asteroid’s speed was changed by around 2.7 millimeters per second, demonstrating that deflecting a space object is technically feasible.

However, Chinese researchers estimate that such a method would not be sufficient for much larger asteroids or celestial bodies identified very late. For these situations, they consider a controlled nuclear explosion to be the most effective alternative.

In recent years, Beijing has increased investment in programs aimed at protecting against asteroids.

At the end of June, Chinese authorities announced plans to establish a national early-warning network for asteroids. China has also been part of the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) and the Space Mission Planning Advisory Group (SMPAG) since 2018.

Meanwhile, the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory (DSEL) was established in 2022. The institution is headed by renowned space engineer Wu Weiren, one of the principal architects of China’s lunar exploration program.