NASA To Fire Nuclear Weapons At Incoming Asteroids

The possibility of humans being extinct because of an asteroid colliding with the earth is a possibility, although I would like to think that before something like that happens, it would be us humans who would wipe each other out beforehand instead. Anyways, theoretically speaking, if an asteroid were to be on a collision course with our beloved planet, what are our options? NASA might be part of the solution, as they have worked out a partnership with the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), where the latter happens to be a branch of the Department of Energy that is “responsible for enhancing national security through the military application of nuclear science”.

Ah, so the “Armageddon” movie scenario repeats itself, and hopefully it will not come with a love story thrown into the mix. Perhaps this new partnership might see a viable solution as rocket specialists and nuclear specialists work together, sharing their knowledge in saving humanity from the threat of possible extinction. So far, computer simulations have pointed to the possibility of success when it comes to disintegrating a medium-sized space rock, although a more viable solution would be to make use of a nuclear bomb to deflect the asteroid – as opposed to blowing it to bits, where the fallout might prove more catastrophic.

Edwin Kee
Categories: General
Tags: NASA