AI Generated Image
Miami-based City Labs achieves a first for commercial nuclear power in space
Ars Technica • • general
Key Points:
- City Labs, a Florida-based company, launched BOHR, the world’s first commercial nuclear-powered CubeSat, using a betavoltaic battery powered by tritium decay to generate electricity for low-power applications in space.
- BOHR was deployed into orbit via a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare mission and represents a significant step toward routine commercial use of compact, safe nuclear power systems in space.
- The satellite uses conventional solar power for regular operations, with the nuclear battery supplying power to an experimental payload, demonstrating long-duration, reliable energy independent of sunlight.
- City Labs has collaborated with NASA and the U.S. military on developing tritium-based nuclear power for applications including lunar sensors, cryptographic devices, and autonomous imaging sensors in harsh environments.
- BOHR successfully passed the FAA’s new nuclear launch approval process, marking a milestone for commercial nuclear space missions, though future missions will require larger quantities of nuclear material.
