Here's the Right Way to Nuke an Asteroid (Sorry, Bruce Willis)

There should be a lot of ice too. Not just from water, but frozen gases. It's the best. The point is, when you don't have to save on reaction mass (that's most never - asteroid is about the only obvious case), you may "throw away" these vapors and rocks at relatively slow speeds - like steam cannon. You need just to heat 'em up. And nuclear fuel is perfect one for this trick.

But when where isn't enough ice it's some trouble. In that case you have to ionize these rocks matter and accelerate the ions.

Or press/glue rocks with some iron and rail-gun it away.

It isn't about bombs and explosions, it's more like nuclear power plant in this case too.

I don't say the tech is simple. I say - we may do it today... somehow. And we should be able to do it far better - tomorrow.

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