CERN and Oxford study nuclear deflection for asteroid impact prevention
Scientists from CERN and Oxford have revisited the idea of using nuclear warheads to deflect dangerous asteroids—think real-life Armageddon, but with actual science.
This comes after the 2013 Chelyabinsk explosion over Russia reminded everyone that space rocks can be a real threat.
Research shows metal-rich meteorites might withstand larger nuclear devices
By blasting asteroid-like materials with powerful proton beams at CERN, researchers discovered that metal-rich meteorites actually get stronger under intense force.
This means bigger nuclear devices might be used to nudge large asteroids away from Earth without blowing them apart.
As Melanie Bochmann put it, the results show that the material becomes stronger under intense force and that a larger device might be used without catastrophic fragmentation, especially with NASA and ESA gearing up for more asteroid missions soon.
Research keeps nuclear deflection option open for emergency use
NASA's DART mission showed we can move smaller asteroids by smashing a spacecraft into them, but that trick might not work for giant ones.
The new research suggests that metal-rich asteroid material may withstand larger nuclear devices without catastrophic fragmentation, keeping open an emergency option for nuclear deflection if we ever face something much bigger.