Perhaps a nuclear bomb will protect the planet from an asteroid more safely than anticipated—researchers carried out an experiment.

New Perspective on Planetary Defense: How a Nuclear Explosion Could “Make” an Asteroid Stronger

Scientists from Oxford University and the Outer Solar System Company (OuSoCo) conducted an experiment that changes the understanding of using a nuclear explosion to deflect a dangerous asteroid. The research revealed that metallic telescopes can withstand far greater stresses than previously assumed.

Why a Nuclear Strike Raises Doubts
The classic problem is that detonation may fragment a large body into many small rocks. These fragments are no less hazardous, and tracking and protecting against them is much harder. Thus many considered the nuclear method too risky.

Experiment at CERN
* Sample – iron meteorite Campo del Cielo
* Setup – HiRadMat on the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)
* Methodology – exposure to proton beams of varying intensity
* Monitoring – temperature sensors and real‑time laser vibrometry

What Happened to the Material
1. Softening under initial load.
2. Damping effect – part of the energy is absorbed rather than transmitted further.
3. Strengthening – after the shock wave passes, the material’s strength increases 2.5‑fold at a microscopic level.

This behavior relates to how quickly the material deforms: the faster the impact, the more effectively the asteroid dissipates energy and “transitions” to a sturdier structure.

Implications for Planetary Defense
* Detonation at a safe distance from an iron asteroid’s surface significantly reduces fragmentation risk.
* If the object remains intact, its trajectory can be altered without creating a dangerous “shower” of debris.
* Previously it was thought that the nuclear option was too risky – now we see the opposite: the material adapts and becomes tougher.

Study Limitations
The experiment used only a homogeneous iron sample. Real asteroids often contain rocky or mixed layers that may behave differently. Therefore additional tests on various compositions are needed to build reliable impact‑response models.

How It Fits Existing Strategies
* The nuclear method could become a “quick” solution if the threat is detected with little lead time.
* It complements already proven approaches (e.g., NASA DART kinetic impact).

Conclusion
The data provide grounds to consider nuclear deflection safer and more reliable than previously thought. However, further research on diverse materials is necessary to create accurate predictions and make a final decision about employing this method in real planetary defense.