Chinese researchers have proposed sending 20 rockets from the country to practice diverting potential hazardous space rocks away from our planet. Scientists at China’s National Space Science Centre learned through simulations that 23 Long March 5 rockets that weigh 900 tonnes when hit simultaneously could divert an asteroid from its original path by almost 9,000 km.
The Long March 5B rocket was the one that was hurtling uncontrollably over Earth before falling in the Indian Ocean in May this year. The probability of a space rock crashing into Earth is low but one, the 78 billion kg Bennu, has been targeted for investigation.
Huge kinetic energy required
The asteroid is categorized as a B-type, which means it has a lot of carbon along with other minerals. It is said to have formed 4.5 billion years ago. Since it’s so old, it could contain molecules that developed when life was first evolving on our planet. It could be the end of life on Earth.
It is estimated that between 2175 and 2199, the Bennu asteroid will come within 7.5 million kilometers of our planet’s orbit and will become a potential threat. Although the chance of Bennu hitting Earth is very slim (1-in-2700), but that doesn’t stop scientists from preparing for the worse.
To divert an asteroid, a huge amount of kinetic energy will be required, but nuclear power could break an asteroid into chunks that could still hit the Earth. In case of sending multiple rockets, they will have around three years before reaching the asteroid.
NASA has similar plans
“It is possible to defend against large asteroids with a nuclear-free technique within 10 years,” said researcher Li Mingtao, quoted by the South China Morning Post.
Fuel that’s reserved after the launch can be used to boost the thruster, increasing the mass of the rocket, making the deflection more efficient. The researchers suggest that existing rockets are capable of doing the job and require only a few modifications, such as adding more thrusters.
NASA also has similar plans called HAMMER (Hypervelocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response). But this approach is costlier and will require 25 years prior warning before the collision, while China’s plan will only need a decade’s warning.
