A tritium ‘nuclear battery’ just reached orbit for the first time
SMRTR summary
City Labs launched BOHR, the first commercial nuclear-powered satellite, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 on July 7, 2026. The softball-sized CubeSat carries a tritium "betavoltaic" battery that produces tiny but long-lasting power without sunlight — critical for lunar nights and deep-space missions where solar panels fail. It also became the first commercial nuclear payload approved through the FAA's regulatory pathway, backed by a $1.5M DARPA contract.
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