NASA to Nuke ‘City Killer’ Asteroid to Stop it from Smashing into Moon

NASA scientists are seriously considering a plan that sounds ripped straight from Hollywood: nuking a giant asteroid before it can cause cosmic chaos.

The threat comes from asteroid 2024 YR4, a 300-foot space rock roughly the size of a 10-story building. Discovered late last year, it was initially flagged as one of the most dangerous asteroids ever detected — with a “historic” chance of striking Earth.

That terrifying prospect has eased. But NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies now warns that the asteroid could slam into the moon in 2032.

Why the Moon Matters

A direct lunar hit wouldn’t end life on Earth, but the fallout could still be devastating. Experts warn that debris blasted off the moon’s surface might rain down into Earth’s orbit. That could cripple satellites, threaten communications, and even put astronauts aboard the International Space Station at risk.

“It’s not just about the moon,” one NASA researcher explained. “It’s about the chain reaction an impact could trigger. If satellites are knocked out, we’re talking navigation failures, communication blackouts, and billions in economic damage.”

The Nuclear Solution

In a peer-reviewed paper published September 15, researchers proposed launching nuclear weapons at the asteroid before it reaches the moon. Unlike the 1998 Bruce Willis blockbuster Armageddon, the plan would not involve sending astronauts to drill into the asteroid. Instead, unmanned rockets carrying nuclear warheads would be detonated from a distance.

The mission’s window would be narrow — it would need to launch between 2029 and 2031.

“This isn’t science fiction,” said Dr. Anthony Cellini, a planetary defense expert unaffiliated with the study. “Nuclear deflection is controversial, but it’s one of the few tools we have in the box if a real ‘city killer’ heads our way.”

A Risky Gamble

The nuclear option carries dangers of its own. If the blast doesn’t completely vaporize the asteroid, it could push fragments onto an unexpected trajectory — including one toward Earth.

“It’s a last-resort scenario,” the study’s authors admitted. “The worst-case outcome is that we end up creating the very disaster we’re trying to prevent.”

Looking Ahead

NASA and other space agencies are already testing alternatives. In 2022, the DART mission successfully nudged a small asteroid off course using a “kinetic impactor” — essentially, ramming it with a spacecraft. But researchers warn that for massive rocks like 2024 YR4, only extreme measures may work.

For now, the asteroid remains under close watch. But if its orbit drifts closer to the moon — or to Earth — the nuclear option could move from the pages of a research paper to a mission countdown.

“Humanity has two choices,” said Dr. Cellini. “We can wait and hope, or we can prepare for the day when we really might have to blow one of these things out of the sky.”