Miami’s City Labs achieves first commercial nuclear power in space
▼ Summary
– City Labs launched BOHR, the first commercial nuclear-powered satellite and nuclear CubeSat, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare mission.
– BOHR uses a nuclear betavoltaic battery that generates electricity from tritium decay, not a full nuclear reactor.
– The satellite relies on conventional solar power for regular operations, while the nuclear battery powers a demonstration payload.
– Betavoltaic batteries suit low-power, long-duration applications like remote sensors and secure communications.
– The launch marks a step toward future nuclear reactor use for Moon bases and Solar System propulsion.
The push to bring nuclear power into space took a meaningful step forward this week. On Tuesday, a small satellite built by a Florida firm specializing in nuclear micro-power technology hitched a ride into orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
We are still far from seeing a full-scale nuclear reactor launched into space, a milestone that could one day sustain a permanent lunar outpost or propel spacecraft efficiently across the Solar System. But every major breakthrough begins with a modest first move.
That move came from City Labs, headquartered in Miami. Their satellite, named BOHR (short for Betavoltaic Orbital High-Reliability), launched as part of a rideshare mission alongside 80 other payloads. The Falcon 9 placed BOHR into an orbit roughly 350 to 400 miles, or nearly 600 kilometers, above Earth.
Starting small is the strategy here. City Labs is calling the BOHR mission “the world’s first commercial nuclear-powered satellite and first nuclear CubeSat.” CubeSats are inherently compact, and images from the company suggest BOHR is built on a “1U” platform, roughly the size of a softball. Its power source is a nuclear betavoltaic battery, which generates electricity from the natural decay of tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen.
“This is a historic step for commercial nuclear power in space,” said Peter Cabauy, CEO of City Labs, in a statement. “BOHR demonstrates that safe, compact, and regulatory-approved nuclear power systems are ready for routine commercial deployment. This capability enables persistent, always-on payload operations that are not constrained by sunlight or battery life.”
City Labs plans to use its experimental NanoTritium power generator in a demonstration mode to supply electricity to a payload onboard the BOHR CubeSat. The company noted that the spacecraft itself will rely on conventional solar power for its regular operations. Betavoltaic batteries are most effective for low-power applications demanding a reliable, long-lasting energy source. Potential uses include remote terrestrial sensors in undersea or polar environments, as well as instrumentation for secure communications. City Labs is also exploring how its NanoTritium technology could power implantable medical devices.
(Source: Ars Technica)
