Nuclear Deflection Could Work on Metal-Rich Asteroids, Study Finds
New research shows metal-rich asteroid material can harden and self-damp under intense stress from a nuclear deflection, suggesting larger devices could be used without catastrophic fragmentation and preserving a last-resort option for very large or short-warning threats; NASA/ESA plan to study Apophis in 2029 and researchers will test more asteroid types (e.g., pallasites) to better inform planetary defense and hint at planetary formation insights.