Chinese researchers have proposed that burying a nuclear explosive deep inside a large asteroid before detonation could be the most effective method for preventing a catastrophic collision with Earth, according to a newly published scientific study.
The findings, published in the journal Space: Science and Technology, come as scientists worldwide continue to explore strategies for defending Earth against potentially hazardous near-Earth objects.
Asteroids have long been regarded as one of the greatest natural threats to human civilization. Scientists believe that massive asteroid impacts in Earth’s history triggered dramatic environmental changes and contributed to the extinction of numerous plant and animal species.
Although astronomers have identified many near-Earth asteroids ranging from tens to hundreds of meters in diameter, experts warn that a significant number remain undiscovered. In some cases, potentially dangerous asteroids may only be detected days or weeks before a possible impact, leaving little time for a response.
While existing planetary defense techniques—such as NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, which successfully demonstrated kinetic impact technology in 2022—can alter the trajectory of smaller asteroids, the Chinese researchers argue that such methods may be insufficient for much larger objects or scenarios involving very short warning times.
Scientists from the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology concluded that a subsurface nuclear explosion could provide the fastest and most effective means of either deflecting a massive asteroid from its orbit or destroying it entirely under extreme circumstances.
The research describes a concept in which a spacecraft would first drill a deep hole into the asteroid using a specialized penetrator before placing a nuclear explosive beneath the surface. The device would then be detonated to maximize the transfer of energy into the asteroid’s interior.
Using computer simulations, the researchers analyzed the effects of nuclear explosions of varying strengths at different burial depths, as well as factors such as launch vehicle performance and impact velocity.
Their simulations suggest that a nuclear explosion approximately 200 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima could completely fragment an asteroid about 100 meters in diameter.
The study also found that burying the explosive roughly 30 meters beneath the asteroid’s surface could alter its trajectory at three times the velocity achieved by a surface or shallow explosion.
In another scenario, researchers estimated that detonating a nuclear device about 20 meters below the surface of an asteroid measuring approximately one kilometer in diameter could increase its deflection speed by more than 30 centimeters per second—potentially enough to move it safely away from Earth if carried out sufficiently in advance.
The authors said the study could provide valuable engineering guidance for future planetary defense systems designed to protect Earth from large near-Earth asteroids.
They argued that in situations where warning time is extremely limited or the incoming asteroid is exceptionally large, a buried nuclear explosion may represent the only practical option capable of preventing a catastrophic impact.
The researchers emphasized that their work is intended to support the development of future asteroid defense technologies and improve preparedness for low-probability but potentially devastating cosmic threats.