Chinese researchers have developed a new method of combating—using a nuclear charge—large asteroids that pose a threat to the Earth, the South China Morning Post reports.

Accordingly, China’s two-pronged method could blast apart an Earth-threatening space rock using a 3-megaton explosion equivalent to 200 Hiroshima bombs.

The proposed technology involves placing a bomb inside the space body in order to destroy it or change its trajectory.

Scientists from the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology in Beijing have proposed a two-stage scheme. First, a metal impact probe would crash into the asteroid's surface and create a crater, after which a second spacecraft would place the nuclear charge inside it and detonate it.

The researchers also found that placing the charge at a depth of 30 meters increases the effectiveness of the impact on the asteroid's trajectory by more than three times compared to a surface explosion.

It is emphasized that this approach is more effective than dropping a nuclear device directly on the asteroid's surface, as it enables to pre-select the location of the charge and ensure a deeper impact.

The project is planned to be implemented using unmanned space vehicles.