Chinese nuclear bombs against asteroids

Scientists from the Chinese space program are exploring an impressive and somewhat crazy solution to protect the Earth from catastrophic collisions with asteroids, the use of nuclear weapons, according to their analysis in some critical scenarios these weapons could be the only effective way to divert a asteroid on a collision course with our planet.

But why resort to this extreme approach, the answer lies in the magnitude of the danger that these celestial objects represent, an asteroid of more than 140 m in diameter that approaches less than 7.5 million kilometers from the earth is considered a potentially Dangerous, an impact of this type could trigger devastating sequences, abruptly altering the global climate.

Similar to the concept of nuclear winter that would be generated by a nuclear war and the danger is real, NASA and other space agencies track hundreds of new objects each year, but many asteroids go unnoticed due to their relatively small size or their approach from the direction of the sun which makes its detection extremely challenging.

Currently more than 30,000 near-Earth objects have already been catalogued, but there is still a significant gap between the number detected and the actual number that exists. To deal with this risk, Chinese researchers suggest a defense system that involves the rapid launch of warheads. nuclear weapons capable of hitting targets with astonishing precision, they also consider the possibility of storing these warheads in space for long periods so that they are ready in a short space of time in case a threat is detected.

And this is where I already anticipate comments related to skynet and I don't blame you for thinking about it, if they give control to some artificial intelligence we could have the fate of the famous movie, but we return to the article; Among the various technological options evaluated such as kinetic impact, the installation of plasma engines and the use of high-power lasers, the scientists' analysis shows that if the warning time is only one week, nuclear warheads would be the only viable defense. .

A single warhead with a yield of one million tons could deflect a 50-meter asteroid, but for larger bodies or bodies composed of denser materials, even more powerful explosions or multiple missiles would be needed, even with a period of more than 15 years to act. a minor nuclear explosion could neutralize the threat, regardless of the size or composition of the asteroid.

The article detailing these conclusions was published in a Chinese scientific journal and highlights the urgency of investing in advanced technologies to guarantee the defense of our planet against these cosmic threats, the link is in the source.

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