WHAT JUST HAPPENED? A small satellite launched this week is testing a space-based nuclear power system that does not rely entirely on sunlight. The satellite, called BOHR, was developed by Florida-based City Labs and entered orbit on July 7 aboard SpaceX's Transporter-17 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The Falcon 9 rocket carried 81 payloads in total, deploying them roughly 50 minutes after liftoff.
BOHR's primary mission is to test a different kind of power source in orbit. The CubeSat is carrying City Labs' "NanoTritium" system, a betavoltaic power source that converts beta particles from tritium decay directly into electricity using a semiconductor. Unlike traditional nuclear power systems, which first convert radioactive heat into electricity, this design generates power directly from the decay particles.
"This is a historic step for commercial nuclear power in space," said City Labs CEO Peter Cabauy.
The mission is still in its early stages. BOHR relies on solar panels for its primary operations, while the NanoTritium device is being evaluated separately to measure its performance in orbit. The goal is to determine whether the technology can provide a steady, long-lasting power source for future spacecraft.
