The method involves an array of small hypervelocity kinetic penetrators that pulverize and disassemble an asteroid or small comet. This effectively mitigates the threat using the Earth's atmosphere to dissipate the fragment cloud. The proposed system allows a practical, low-cost terminal defense solution to planetary defense using existing technologies.

The hypervelocity penetrators use the kinetic energy of the asteroid to help break it apart. Fragmentation into sizes of less than about 10 meter diameter is sufficient for most threatening objects. The Earth's atmosphere to convert the parent object kinetic energy primarily into acoustical waves and secondarily into an optical signature, both of which have acceptable fluxes. Given the extreme impact speeds,
passive penetrators carry much more energy per mass than chemical explosives.

In 2013, the 45 meter diameter asteroid 2012 DA14 approached to within 27,743km of Earth's surface— inside the orbit of geosynchronous satellites. If DA14 were to strike Earth, it would deliver approximately 7.2 Million tons TNT. Although the Chelyabinsk meteorite and DA14 arrived at or near Earth on the same day, the two objects were not linked to each other, coming from completely unrelated orbits. That two such seemingly improbable events could occur within hours of each other serves as a stark reminder that humanity is continually at risk of asteroid impact.

Asteroids at least the size of DA14 (~50m diam.) are expected to strike Earth approximately every 650 years, while objects at least the size of the Chelyabinsk asteroid (~20m diam.) are expected to strike Earth approximately every 50-100 years.

The new plan is to place an array of penetrator rods in the path of an asteroid to use the kinetic energy of the asteroid to tear itself apart.