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China nuclear asteroid deflection proposal

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2026-08-05 12:59 UTC → 2026-08-05 13:12 UTC · added ~~removed~~

In early July 2026 Chinese researchers announced a concept for using nuclear explosives to alter the path of hazardous asteroids. By early August the team from the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology detailed a two‑step method: first drilling a deep cavity in the asteroid with a metal penetrator, then detonating a 3‑megaton nuclear device about 30 metres beneath the surface. Simulations suggested this could fragment a 100‑metre‑wide rock or change its velocity by more than three times that of a surface blast, offering greater control than a direct impact. On 2 August the China Rocket Research Institute outlined a similar two‑phase strategy, describing an initial probe impact to create a shallow crater followed by placement of a ~3‑megaton nuclear charge. The institute highlighted China’s expanding planetary‑defence infrastructure, including a national early‑warning network and membership in the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) and the Space Mission Planning Advisory Group (SMPAG). Senior engineer Wu Weiren and researcher Xiaowei Wang were named as leads. The 2 August briefing also described two operational modes: a straightforward surface impact followed by a nuclear detonation, and a “pre‑excavation” approach that first creates a deeper crater before placing the device, aiming for a more powerful internal blast. Researchers emphasized that a three‑megaton explosion, equivalent to roughly 200 Hiroshima bombs, would be the most effective option for large asteroids detected only months or a few years before a potential impact. A follow‑up paper on 4 August, again in *Space: Science & Technology*, reiterated the burial concept, noting that a 300‑kiloton explosion could destroy a 50‑metre asteroid while a 3‑megaton device would suffice for a 100‑metre body. The authors stressed that the technique is relevant only for short‑warning scenarios and cited NASA’s 2022 DART mission as a benchmark for kinetic‑impact deflection.

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