Chinese scientists have studied how spaceships and satellites could be destroyed with the help of an atomic bomb. According to an article published in the Chinese journal Nuclear Techniques, a team led by physicist Liu Li used computers to simulate explosions at different heights at the edge of space.
Although the physics involved are extremely complex, the new model can provide an estimate of the blast’s radius and extent of damage in just a few minutes “with great reliability,” according to researchers at the Northwest Institute of Nuclear Technology, which is run by the Chinese military .
China has been pursuing an ambitious space program for years and has set itself the goal of catching up with the USA in terms of technology. Military components also play a role here. In 2019, the United States established a so-called “Space Force” to prepare for possible conflicts in space.
According to the Chinese scientists, their results match those of the “teak test” conducted by the United States in 1958. At that time, the Americans detonated a nuclear bomb more than 70 kilometers west of Hawaii to study the effects.
