A NASA mission last year demonstrated that by colliding with an asteroid using a spacecraft, humans might alter the trajectory of an asteroid. However, we do have at least one more choice if an impact is insufficient: nuking it.

Following the successful relocation of an asteroid moonlet by NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, a new research examines the possibility of using nuclear power to reroute an errant space rock that is headed toward Earth.

Mary Burkey, a physicist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, stated in a Tuesday statement that “if we have enough warning time, we could potentially launch a nuclear device, sending it millions of miles away to an asteroid that is headed toward Earth.”

Researchers studying planetary defense are examining the highly dramatic prospect of detonating a nuclear weapon to ward off an approaching asteroid, à la Bruce Willis in the 1998 Hollywood film “Armageddon.” Burkey and associates created a novel model as part of that research that mimics the effects of high-energy, X-ray emissions from a nuclear detonation on an asteroid.

Nuking an asteroid seems like a better idea on paper than a mission like DART. The largest is energy: Compared to other human technologies, nuclear devices can produce more energy per mass. Furthermore, a nuclear weapon may deliver a considerably more potent punch than a DART-like spacecraft could ever hope to because space flights are always required to minimize mass.

“We would then detonate the device and either deflect the asteroid, keeping it intact but providing a controlled push away from Earth, or we could disrupt the asteroid, breaking it up into small, fast-moving fragments that would also miss the planet,” said Burkey.

Most of the energy released by a nuclear detonation is in the form of X-rays. Any unfortunate substance that happens to be in the path of an asteroid may be vaporized if an asteroid is struck by a nuclear explosion. Burkey et al. devised a model to replicate these impacts on four distinct asteroid compositions and in various scenarios.

Making sure that any attempt at asteroid deflection really diverts the object into a non-hazardous path and does not send shards of the object hurtling toward people is crucial. Because of this, the researchers said they intend to use this model to help planetary defense experts gain a better understanding before taking any action.