A recent paper by a group of researchers, including NASA scientists, explores the possibility of using a nuclear explosion to divert an asteroid on a collision course with the moon.
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The asteroid, known as 2024 YR4, has a 4% chance of hitting the moon in 2032.
The paper suggests launching a mission to estimate the asteroid’s mass and potentially deploy an explosive device to alter its trajectory.
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However, the plan comes with significant risks and uncertainties, including the potential creation of a dangerous debris field.
NASA has experience with deflecting asteroids, as seen in the DART probe mission, but successful deflection of asteroid 2024 YR4 would first require figuring out the rock’s mass.
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NASA has no current plans to interfere with the asteroid but may study it using the James Webb Space Telescope next year.
The proposed mission raises political considerations and questions about international cooperation in space exploration.
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