The BOHR mission aims to demonstrate compact nuclear power technology for future deep-space missions.
SpaceX has launched what is being described as the world’s first commercially built nuclear-powered satellite, marking a major milestone in space technology and opening new possibilities for long-duration space missions.
According to The Indian Express, the satellite, named BOHR (Betavoltaic Orbital High-Reliability), was developed by Florida-based City Labs and launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket during the Transporter-17 rideshare mission from California. The mission carried 81 payloads, with satellite deployments beginning about 50 minutes after liftoff.
BOHR is a demonstration mission designed to test City Labs’ proprietary NanoTritium betavoltaic micropower system in space. Unlike conventional satellites that depend entirely on solar panels, the system generates electricity by converting beta particles released during the radioactive decay of tritium directly into electrical energy using a semiconductor device.
“This is a historic step for commercial nuclear power in space,” City Labs CEO Peter Cabauy said.
The company said BOHR will continue using solar panels for primary spacecraft operations, while showcasing how compact nuclear power systems could eventually support missions in permanently shadowed regions of the Moon where sunlight is limited.
The mission was funded through a US Department of Defense contract and is the first nuclear-powered mission approved under the US Federal Aviation Administration’s nuclear launch framework established in 2019. City Labs believes the technology could gradually power future commercial and national security spacecraft beyond Earth orbit.
