China proposes nuclear blast plan to destroy threatening asteroids
Chinese researchers at the China Rocket Research Institute have outlined a two‑stage mission to neutralise hazardous near‑Earth asteroids. The first probe would strike the asteroid to create a shallow crater, after which a second probe would place a nuclear device in the crater and detonate it, delivering an explosion of roughly three megatons – comparable to about 200 Hiroshima bombs. The approach is presented as the most effective method for large asteroids that are detected only a few years or months before a potential impact.
The proposal builds on the 2022 NASA DART mission, which demonstrated that a kinetic impact can alter an asteroid’s trajectory. Chinese scientists argue that for bigger objects or short‑notice scenarios, a controlled nuclear detonation offers far greater energy coupling. The plan is part of China’s expanding planetary‑defence programme, which includes a national early‑warning network, participation in the International Asteroid Warning Network, and the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory led by senior engineer Wu Weiren. Lead author Xiaowei Wang of the Chinese Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology highlighted two possible modes: a simple surface impact followed by a nuclear blast, and a “pre‑excavation” technique that creates a deeper crater before detonation to achieve a more powerful internal explosion.
Entities: China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology · China Rocket Research Institute · Chinese rocket scientists · Chinese space program · NASA · Space: Science & Technology · Wu Weiren · Xiaowei Wang · hazardous asteroid
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The plan was developed by researchers at the China Rocket Research Institute in Beijing. (Chinese researchers)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The nuclear explosion would have a yield of about three megatons, comparable to roughly 200 Hiroshima bombs. (Chinese researchers)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Xiaowei Wang leads the research team at the Chinese Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology that proposed the nuclear deflection methods. (Chinese researchers)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Chinese scientists propose a two‑phase asteroid deflection method using a probe to create a crater and then detonating a nuclear device inside the asteroid. (Chinese researchers)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The concept builds on the success of NASA’s 2022 DART mission, which altered the trajectory of asteroid Dimorphos. (Chinese researchers)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] China has established a national early‑warning network for asteroids and participates in the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) and the Space Mission Planning Advisory Group (SMPAG). (Chinese authorities)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Wu Weiren, a senior engineer, leads the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory associated with the program. (Chinese space program)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The method is intended for large asteroids or those detected with short warning times. (Chinese researchers)