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IIRC nuclear weapons aren't very effective against asteroids in a vaccuum. Unless you can place the warhead inside the asteroid somehow.
by hermitcrab 4y ago
IIRC nuclear weapons aren't very effective against asteroids in a vaccuum. Unless you can place the warhead inside the asteroid somehow.
- rdlw 4y agoSimple, just teach deep-core drillers how to be astronauts and send them to implant it.
- remh 4y agoThat would make for a great movie, could be titled like it's the end of the world. Maybe Apocalypse Now?
- midoridensha 4y agoA powerful nuke could certainly alter an asteroid's trajectory. However, most of the energy would be wasted. It'd be better to use a nuclear propulsion reactor strapped to the side of the asteroid to direct it more accurately, but we don't have that technology today, whereas we do know how to make big bombs. Also, the idea of changing an asteroid's trajectory just before it hits the Earth is crazy. You need much more warning, because even a big bomb isn't going to move the asteroid that much, so you need to use it long before it's projected to collide.
- pharke 4y agoNuclear weapons which are optimized for wide surface area destruction or bunker busting are not very effective. Nuclear bombs like any bomb can be tuned to produce a variety of effects. See Nuclear shaped charges https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_shaped_charge https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_shaped_charge