Following NASAS successful 2022 DART mission – the first intentional collision with an asteroid to test planetary defense [[1]] – scientists are now exploring a wider range of deflection strategies, including the previously sidelined option of nuclear explosions. While traditionally avoided due to concerns about fragmentation, new research suggests certain asteroid compositions may withstand a nuclear impact and be safely diverted. Researchers at CERN are conducting groundbreaking experiments to better understand how asteroids react to extreme force, potentially paving the way for a more robust planetary defense system [[2]].
In 2022, NASA successfully demonstrated the feasibility of altering an asteroid’s trajectory with a direct impact, a key test for planetary defense. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission intentionally collided with a non-threatening asteroid to prove the concept, opening new avenues for protecting Earth from potential future threats.
Until recently, kinetic impact – essentially, crashing into an asteroid – has been favored over nuclear deflection due to the risks associated with using a nuclear payload. A nuclear explosion could shatter an asteroid into numerous smaller fragments, still posing a danger to our planet. However, scientists are now revisiting the possibility of nuclear options as a last resort.
Researchers at CERN’s Super Proton Synchrotron laboratory have been investigating how different asteroid materials respond to conditions mimicking a nuclear detonation. The team’s work focuses on analyzing the strength and behavior of these materials under extreme stress, helping to predict whether an explosion would fragment an asteroid or simply deflect it.
To conduct these experiments, scientists at CERN’s HiRadMat facility subjected fragments of the Campo del Cielo meteorite to a series of 27 high-energy proton beam pulses, each with an energy of 440 GeV. This allowed them to replicate some of the effects of a nuclear explosion in a controlled laboratory setting, without actually detonating a nuclear device.
The results indicated that metallic asteroids may be more resilient than previously thought, exhibiting a capacity to dampen vibrations during extreme force impacts. “Our findings suggest that a larger nuclear payload than initially estimated could be used to deflect a metal-rich asteroid without causing it to break apart,” explained Melanie Bochmann.
According to the researchers, these findings could allow for the controlled use of nuclear weapons for planetary defense in scenarios where a threat is sudden or involves a particularly large object, without creating a cloud of dangerous debris. This research offers a potential solution for mitigating catastrophic asteroid impacts, a growing concern as our ability to detect near-Earth objects improves.
