NASA is considering a bold plan to potentially deflect a dangerous asteroid-one big enough to cause significant damage if it hit a city-that might impact the Moon in 2032. The proposed method involves launching nuclear bombs at the asteroid.
Asteroid 2024 YR4, which is roughly 300 feet wide, briefly caused concern in early 2025 when there was a small chance it could hit Earth. It even reached the top of NASA’s risk list, with a 3.1% probability of impact, but that risk has since decreased.
After further study, scientists have determined the asteroid is very unlikely to hit Earth. However, there’s still a slight possibility it could impact the Moon on December 22, 2032.
Although hitting the Moon might seem like a minor event, experts caution that it could generate a massive cloud of debris – potentially over 100 million kilograms. This material could quickly move towards Earth, causing years of damage to satellites from meteoroid impacts.
To avoid this potential problem, scientists are looking into three possible missions: a quick flyby for observation and a plan to slightly alter the object’s course.
The most extreme possibility, often called the “nuclear option,” would be to detonate up to two nuclear bombs, each far more powerful than those used in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
NASA plots nuking asteroid
The plan involves using two explosives on the asteroid. The first will break or push the asteroid off course, and the second will act as a safety measure. If the first one works, the second will be safely detonated far away in space.
NASA estimates it would take between five and seven years to develop and launch this mission, with the earliest launch opportunity being between late 2029 and late 2031.
Experts say this mission isn’t just about shielding satellites; it could also establish a model for protecting our planet from potential asteroid impacts in the future.
This new proposal arrives as NASA is already facing public attention due to some exciting claims about space exploration. Just recently, the agency announced possible signs that life may have existed on Mars in the past.
Recently, Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb has gained attention for proposing that the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS might be an alien spacecraft, potentially equipped to send probes towards Earth.
One astrophysicist proposed an even more surprising idea: that comet 3I/ATLAS could potentially form planets.
NASA dismissed Loeb’s concerns, stating that the object is just a comet.
Right now, experts are most concerned about the asteroid nicknamed the “city killer.” If the current plan is approved, it would be the first instance of humans using nuclear weapons in space to defend against a dangerous object from the cosmos.
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2025-09-25 23:49