From Space.com: "SpaceX just launched the 1st-ever nuclear-powered commercial satellite." Per the article, the BOHR (Betavoltaic Orbital High-Reliability) satellite, built by Florida-based company City Labs, was launched on July 7, 2026.
BOHR is a novel cubesat demonstration mission from City Labs, which is testing out its proprietary "NanoTritium" betavoltaic micropower source in space for the first time. Similar to how spacecraft like NASA's Voyager probes' radioisotope thermoelectric generators produce power from the heat emitted from their plutonium cores, City Lab's NanoTritium device harnesses the beta particles emitted from the radioactive decay of tritium, which can be converted directly to electricity using a semiconductor.
A beta particle is a high-speed electron or positron emitted during the radioactive decay of an unstable atomic nucleus. Most of you are probably familiar with tritium because it is used to make night sights for handguns and other weapons.
This launch and satellite is just a test of whether the power generation system; but the satellite is not, itself, powered by the NanoTritium system but still relies on solar power. City Labs explains the betavoltaic system as follows:
NanoTritium™ betavoltaics convert energy from tritium decay directly into electrical power. In a betavoltaic device, beta particles emitted by tritium interact with a semiconductor structure, generating electrical current.
Unlike conventional batteries, which store a finite amount of chemical energy, betavoltaics continuously generate low-level power from the natural decay of tritium. This makes them well suited for systems that require reliable, long-duration operation without charging, replacement, or routine maintenance.
City Labs develops custom NanoTritium™ betavoltaics to fit a broad range of form factor and output requirements.
If you are interested in reading more on the topic, here is the Wikipedia article on betavoltaics.
No comments:
Post a Comment