Overview

• Scientists at Sandia National Laboratories used the world's most powerful X-ray machine to test asteroid deflection.
• The experiment showed that X-rays from a nuclear explosion could vaporize part of an asteroid's surface, creating thrust to change its trajectory.
• The study suggests that this method could deflect asteroids up to four kilometers wide if detected in advance.
• This approach could be more effective for larger asteroids compared to previous methods, such as NASA's DART mission.
• Further research is needed to understand how different asteroid compositions would respond to X-ray deflection.