A new satellite wants to prove nuclear power can work in space without solar panels
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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...
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