China Academy Proposes Burying Nuclear Bombs in Asteroids

Researchers at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology have published a study in the journal Space: Science & Technology outlining a two‑phase method to deflect or destroy large near‑Earth asteroids. The first phase uses a spacecraft to fire a metal projectile that creates a crater about 30 m deep in the asteroid’s surface. In the second phase a nuclear device is placed in the crater and detonated, allowing the explosion’s energy to be transferred directly into the rock rather than dissipating in space. Simulations indicate that burying the charge triples the change in velocity compared with a surface blast.

The authors calculate that a 300‑kiloton nuclear explosion (roughly 20 Hiroshima bombs) could completely destroy a 50‑m asteroid, while a 3‑megaton blast (about 200 Hiroshima bombs) would be sufficient for a 100‑m asteroid. Although no imminent asteroid threat is known, the study argues the technique could be the only viable option when warning time is limited, and it references the NASA DART mission as a benchmark for kinetic‑impact deflection.