Chapter 3, Responses from Various Countries, Three Proposals

Although it is possible for humanity to urgently modify a spacecraft capable of achieving this within a period of three months, the success rate of this plan remains relatively low

At the same time, the five major powers of Blue Star have also gathered all global aerospace resources and invested them into the execution of three plans

However, this plan also has a problem, which is that the current nuclear missile launch technology of humanity is not sufficient to allow nuclear missiles to travel far in space. Therefore, it is necessary to wait until the asteroid is sufficiently close to the blue planet before launching the nuclear missile

The number of practical and feasible solutions that various countries can offer is indeed limited

This is akin to laser guidance on the battlefield; if a cruise missile is incoming, the soldiers on the ground can maintain a safe distance from the target. However, if a fuel-air explosive or, worse yet, a nuclear bomb is launched, then not only this soldier but all soldiers on the battlefield would find it extremely difficult to survive

However, this plan has a significant issue: while a nuclear explosion can propel an asteroid, there is a greater likelihood that it would directly shatter the asteroid, resulting in multiple fragments colliding with the blue planet

Nuclear weapons of this caliber are readily available in the arsenals of the five major powers of the Blue Planet. Lucia even stated on the spot that if this plan were adopted, they could provide the Tsar Bomba.

After intense arguments and discussions, the countries ultimately decided to implement a saturation response plan, with three proposals being carried out simultaneously

The third proposal was put forward by the Lucians

The Russians have also opened their nuclear arsenal, contributing all the Tsar bombs that were secretly retained from the Soviet era, two of which will be used for the Federals' plan to carry out explosive operations on the meteorite

However, for the current civilization of the blue planet, destroying a meteorite with a diameter of several kilometers is indeed an exceedingly difficult task, akin to reaching the heavens

With the current space technology possessed by humanity, we have only achieved manned spaceflight within the Earth-Moon system. Beyond the lunar orbit, humans have only launched probes into outer space. The endeavor to equip asteroids approaching the lunar orbit with propulsion systems is, in itself, a significant test of human space technology

This plan is the most feasible and effective among the three options currently available, yet it presents the greatest technical difficulty.

The Federation actively provided the Falcon rocket to the Yan Nation, as every effort at this moment can increase the chances of human survival. Technological blockade is not something that should be pursued at this time

Certainly, in the face of this crisis affecting all humanity, countries around the world have set aside their prejudices and decided to work together in close cooperation

However, considering that this concerns the survival of humanity, countries do not find it difficult to choose to make noble sacrifices for the continuation of human civilization

In fact, although the execution difficulty and success probability of the three plans vary, the astronauts carrying out the tasks are all risking their lives, and they are very likely to sacrifice themselves as a result

After all, compared to survival in a post-apocalyptic world, this is clearly simpler and more convenient, while also maximizing the avoidance of the impact that meteors could have on Blue Planet

In the face of a common disaster for all humanity, countries around the world have demonstrated an unprecedented unity; even nations that are usually at odds are now collaborating closely.

Naturally, the first to take action were the five major powers of Blue Star

Although fragments will still cause impacts on the surface of Blue Star after entering its atmosphere, the destruction that can be caused by meteorites that have already been shattered is at least bearable for human civilization. Moreover, the vast majority of fragments will burn up completely upon entering the atmosphere, resulting in very few fragments landing on Blue Star

If all goes well, the power generated by a nuclear explosion would be sufficient to alter the trajectory of the asteroid, or at the very least, it could shatter the asteroid, reducing its size and mitigating the damage caused by the impact

Although we often mock the five major powers of the Blue Planet as only being two and a half, with the remaining two on the verge of being excluded, in fact, these five countries still rank among the most powerful in the world. Compared to these five nations, other countries ultimately fall short in terms of comprehensive national strength and their ability to respond to such disasters

However, in addition to proactive self-rescue plans, various countries are also preparing contingency plans in case the primary plan fails and a meteorite strikes the blue planet

Plan No. 1 was proposed by the Yan Nation. When the meteorite approaches the lunar orbit, a high-power thruster will be installed on its surface. By leveraging the combined effect of the lunar gravity, the trajectory of the meteorite will be altered to prevent it from colliding with the Blue Planet

In addition, various countries will also take proactive self-rescue measures, construct underground shelters, stockpile supplies, and at the same time, do their utmost to save the populace, striving to ensure that more people survive

The second proposal was put forward by the Federation, referencing the science fiction films "Armageddon" and "Deep Impact" that were produced in Hollywood in those years. Thanks to the brilliant creativity of Hollywood screenwriters at that time, they were able to formulate this plan

Moreover, it is necessary not only to install thrusters on the meteorite but also to be able to propel this massive object with a diameter of over 10 kilometers

That is to land on the meteorite, then create a hole in the meteorite, bury a nuclear bomb inside, and then detonate it

In this case, the destruction of the Blue Star civilization would not be less than that caused by an overall impact of a meteorite on the Blue Star, thus countries are more inclined to favor the proposal put forth by the Yan nation during discussions

The plan of the Lucians is simple and straightforward, brutally characteristic of a warrior nation. It is to directly employ all existing nuclear weapons of the five major powers of Blue Star to conduct a saturation nuclear strike on this meteorite, shattering it into fragments

Lucia's plan serves as a final desperate measure; if the first two plans fail, this will be humanity's last effort to respond to the meteorite

However, considering the implementation difficulties of the Yan Nation plan, this proposal has been retained as a necessary PLAN B

Moreover, to ensure the accuracy of the nuclear missile, it is necessary to dispatch a spacecraft to guide the missile

This plan is technically less challenging than the one proposed by Yan Country. Although both plans require landing on the meteorite, equipping it with a nuclear bomb is clearly much less difficult than adding a propulsion system. Moreover, nuclear bombs capable of propelling the meteorite are far easier to manufacture than propulsion systems that can achieve the same effect.

The Yan Nation and the Federation will first land on the surface of the asteroid, respectively installing thrusters and nuclear bombs, and then attempt to change the asteroid's trajectory or to blow it apart using the nuclear bombs and thrusters

At the special United Nations meeting convened by the five major powers of the Blue Planet, various proposals were put forward and subsequently rejected, ultimately resulting in only three plans receiving the approval of the majority and being passed

Even with the assistance of the Moon's gravity, it still requires a propulsion system with a power output significantly greater than that of the largest spacecraft currently built by humanity, as well as the fuel necessary to propel the asteroid

However, this spacecraft is highly unlikely to survive the onslaught of debris from the meteorites after the nuclear bomb shatters them.

Among the actions undertaken by various countries, the primary choice is, of course, to destroy the meteorite or to alter its trajectory

While Chen Xin is actively striving for self-rescue, the governments of various countries will certainly not remain idle