Science1 hOctober 17, 2026, 06:51

City Labs bets on nuclear micropower for the Moon

City Labs CEO Peter Cabauy says tritium-based beta-voltaic sources delivering nanowatts can power rovers and sensors for decades, surviving the 14-day lunar night. The company became the first to win approval for a commercial nuclear launch into space.

Interesting Engineering

Open source

Tritium power sources output nanowatts to microwatts but run for decades without recharging
The lunar night lasts 14 Earth days at temperatures colder than liquid nitrogen
City Labs is the first to commercially launch a nuclear device into space
In 2017 the company nearly shut down before contracts from Lockheed Martin Space arrived

#CityLabs

A Billion Tons of Lunar Water May Not Sustain Moon Cities

Science

Musk wants a self-growing Moon city in 10 years. Here’s when the water runs out

Science

Quantum X Labs bets on quantum gyroscopes and atomic clocks to replace GPS

Business

City Labs bets on nuclear micropower for the Moon

A Billion Tons of Lunar Water May Not Sustain Moon Cities

Musk wants a self-growing Moon city in 10 years. Here’s when the water runs out

Quantum X Labs bets on quantum gyroscopes and atomic clocks to replace GPS

Banks Take Stakes In AI Labs As Rogo Raises $30 Mn