Could a nuke save us from a killer asteroid? Scientists create simulations showing what would happen if a nuclear bomb exploded on a space rock barreling toward Earth

While NASA has demonstrated its ability to divert a deadly asteroid from its path towards Earth, scientists are working on an alternative plan – and it involves a nuclear bomb.

Researchers in California have developed a simulation of the effect a giant explosion would have when detonated on the surface of a space rock.

The model showed the bomb landing on the asteroid, exploding and sending its powerful energy through the cosmic body.

The team found two scenarios: Either the device could deflect the asteroid away from Earth, or it could disable the asteroid, splitting it into small, fast-moving fragments that might also miss the planet.

Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LNL) have created a simulation to see if a nuclear bomb could save us from a catastrophic asteroid if NASA fails.

The team hopes that the model will help increase our chances of survival with the US space agency's strategy.

NASA sent a spacecraft to an asteroid in 2020 and successfully knocked it out of orbit, showing it could deflect an asteroid headed toward Earth.

“If we had enough warning time, we could potentially launch a nuclear device, sending it millions of miles away to an asteroid heading towards Earth,” said Mary Bourque, who led the research.

Nuclear devices have the highest energy density per unit mass of any human technology, which could make them an invaluable tool in mitigating asteroid threats, Burke said.

The team found two scenarios: Either the device could deflect the asteroid away from Earth, or it could disable the asteroid, breaking it up into small, fast-moving fragments that might also miss the planet.

But, as the team wrote in paper“Predicting the effectiveness of a potential nuclear deflection or disruption mission relies on precise multiphysics simulations of the device's X-ray energy deposition into the asteroid and the ablation of the resulting material.”

Accurate predictions of the effectiveness of nuclear deflection missions rely on complex multiphysics simulations, Burke said, explaining that LLNL's simulations cover a wide range of physical parameters, making them complex and computationally demanding.

Simulation tracking Photons penetrate the surfaces of asteroid-like materials such as rock, iron and ice while representing more complex processes, such as re-radiation.

The model also took into account initial conditions, including different porosity, source spectra, radiation fluxes, source duration, and incidence angles.

“This comprehensive approach makes the model applicable to many potential asteroid scenarios,” the team said.

If Earth were threatened by a killer asteroid, a simulation model like this would be critical, explained Megan Brooke Sial, head of the Planetary Defense Project at LLNL.

She added that this would allow the forces to act quickly, know the risks and ultimately save lives.

“Although the probability of a major asteroid impact occurring within our lifetime is low, the potential consequences could be devastating,” Brock Sial said.