City Labs Advances Nuclear Roadmap with Second In-Orbit Demo
Following the success of its BOHR tritium-powered battery, City Labs plans a 2027 mission to test radioisotope heating units designed to keep lunar payloads operational in extreme cold.
Sustaining Life in the Lunar Dark
City Labs is moving to solidify its lead in the commercial nuclear space sector. Following the successful validation of its BOHR payload—a tritium-powered betavoltaic battery launched via SpaceX’s Transporter-17—the company is preparing a second, higher-output demonstration for 2027. According to Payload, this upcoming mission will pivot from power generation to thermal management.
Scaling for the Moon
The primary focus of the 2027 demo is the Radioisotope Heating Unit (RHU). Unlike traditional solar-reliant systems, City Labs’ tritium-powered units provide heat independent of solar input. This is a critical requirement for surviving the 14-day lunar night, where temperatures drop to -173°C.
CEO Peter Cabauy emphasizes that the technology is modular. While individual RHUs and batteries weigh only a few grams and produce microwatts of energy, they are designed to be stacked. This scalability allows mission planners to customize thermal and power output to meet specific hardware requirements without the bulk of traditional systems.
Market Shift
The regulatory landscape is shifting to accommodate this demand. As NASA accelerates its push for a permanent presence on the Moon, the pathway for commercial nuclear launches has become increasingly streamlined. To meet a spike in market interest, City Labs has already secured domestic and international supply chains for its tritium fuel.
Cabauy suggests that there is no viable "lunar economy" without thermal permanence. By providing a reliable way to keep sensors and electronics from freezing, City Labs aims to extend mission lifespans from days to years, mirroring the longevity of nuclear-powered Martian rovers like Curiosity and Perseverance.