Revolutionary Method May Deflect Asteroids Using Nuclear-Induced X-rays

Scientists from Albuquerque, New Mexico, have proposed a novel approach to planetary defense, suggesting that X-rays generated from a nuclear explosion could potentially redirect dangerous asteroids away from Earth. This technique involves detonating a nuclear warhead more than a mile above the asteroid’s surface, utilizing the resulting X-rays to alter its trajectory.

New Strategies for Planetary Defense

The traditional methods depicted in popular films like Armageddon and Deep Impact involved exploding a nuclear weapon directly on an asteroid, fragmenting it into multiple hazardous pieces. However, experts assert that this would transform a solitary threat into a chaotic shower of debris. The shift in methodology highlights new understandings in aerospace science and the urgent need for effective asteroid deflection techniques.

The Growing Threat of Asteroids

A report from the National Academy of Sciences emphasized that planetary defense must be regarded as a national priority. As ongoing surveys by NASA reveal, the likelihood of asteroid threats remains credible. Currently, astronomers estimate that about 25,000 large objects orbit dangerously close to Earth; however, only one-third have been thoroughly tracked and monitored.

Many of these objects remain hidden against the sun’s glare. Past incidents, like the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteor explosion in Russia, remind us of the potential dangers. A larger asteroid event is credited with causing the mass extinction of dinosaurs.

Expert Insights on Asteroid Defense

“For most, the danger from asteroids seems remote,” stated Nathan Moore, a physicist with Sandia National Laboratories. “Yet our planet experiences impacts from BB-sized asteroids daily. We must prepare in advance rather than scrambling for solutions when a larger asteroid approaches.”

Innovative Experiments at Sandia National Laboratories

Moore’s team conducted groundbreaking experiments using Sandia’s Z machine—recognized as the world’s most powerful pulsed-power device. This allowed researchers to simulate conditions in which synthetic asteroids could be deflected by rapid nuclear-like explosions.

Despite operating on Earth, where gravity plays a significant role, the team developed methods to simulate asteroids floating freely in space. They employed a revolutionary technique termed X-ray scissors, which allowed the experiments to temporarily bypass the influences of friction and gravity.

Breaking Boundaries with X-ray Scissors

The X-ray scissors technique enabled scientists to create models of asteroids that could simulate deflection under the impulse of multiple nuclear-style blasts. These experiments, although limited to a smaller scale, offered promising avenues for real-world asteroid deflection.

The Mechanics of Deflection

“I engaged in a thought process to discern how I could replicate the deflection of a miniature asteroid in a laboratory setup as in space,” Moore elaborated. Crucially, asteroids in space are unbound, unlike their terrestrial counterparts constrained by gravity. To address this difference, the team used incredibly thin foils—eight times thinner than a human hair—to suspend silica model asteroids in a vacuum.

Once the Z machine activated, the thin foil vaporized, allowing the silica to float freely, exposed to the X-ray burst.

Precision Over Destruction

Moore emphasized the importance of precisely directing a potential asteroid without causing it to shatter into multiple deadly fragments. “The goal is to apply enough force to alter the asteroid’s trajectory without resulting in several smaller threats converging on Earth,” he said, referencing similar defense scenarios as demonstrated in NASA’s recent DART mission.