Reply to post: I thought nukes were not a solution ?

Russian boffins want to nuke asteroids

Pascal Monett Silver badge

I thought nukes were not a solution ?

We've already had this discussion, and it was said at the time that most of a nukes' force in space is dissipated via radiation because there is no atmosphere to push around. It is our atmosphere that gives a nuke it's deadly, destructive power.

Even the slop trap Armageddon made the misfits drill into the asteroid in order to explain why the nuke would work.

I am therefor sceptical when reading that shooting off a few nukes to have them blow up on a large asteroid's surface would "turn most of the asteroid into liquid and gas". What have they changed in their simulations to get this result ? Or is this the result of our newfound knowledge on asteroids in general ?

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