[Regnum] Chinese scientists believe they have found the most effective way to destroy an asteroid that poses a threat to Earth. According to the researchers, this would involve burying a nuclear bomb beneath the asteroid's surface and detonating it, the South China Morning Post reported on August 2.
Chinese scientists have proposed using nuclear bombs to destroy asteroids.
"The idea is to first insert a metal penetrating projectile into the asteroid, creating a deep hole. Then, a second spacecraft would drop a nuclear bomb into the hole and detonate it," the article clarified, citing scientists from the Beijing Academy of Rocket Science.
According to simulations, a 3-megaton explosion (or about 200 Hiroshima bombs) could completely destroy an asteroid approximately 100 meters in diameter. Burying the bomb 30 meters below the surface could more than triple the asteroid's velocity, making it more effective at deflecting the solid body.
In February, it was reported that Chinese scientists had developed the world's first compact 20-GW microwave weapon capable of disrupting or damaging satellites in low-Earth orbit. The device, called TPG1000Cs, is capable of generating up to 3,000 high-energy pulses per session, significantly outperforming existing analogs. The 4-meter-long, 5-ton device was created at the Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology in Xi'an.
In April 2025, China successfully tested a non-nuclear "hydrogen bomb." Developed by the China National Shipbuilding Corporation Research Institute, the bomb uses the chemical compound magnesium hydride. During the test, the two-kilogram device generated a fireball with a temperature of over 1,000 degrees Celsius.