The first ever commercial satellite carrying a nuclear-powered payload has launched to space aboard a SpaceX rocket.
The Transporter-17 rideshare mission lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Tuesday aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, marking a historic first for commercial space flight.
The BOHR (Betavoltaic Orbital High-Reliability) satellite, built by Miami-based City Labs, aims to prove the feasibility for commercial operators of using nuclear power for missions where traditional power systems like solar and battery fall short.
This includes deep space missions, as well as activities in permanently shadowed regions like the dark side of the Moon.
“This is a historic step for commercial nuclear power in space,” said City Labs CEO Peter Cabauy.
“BOHR demonstrates that safe, compact, and regulatory-approved nuclear power systems are ready for routine commercial deployment. This capability enables persistent, always-on payload operations that are not constrained by sunlight or battery life.”
The BOHR cubesat works by converting the beta particles emitted from the radioactive decay of tritium into electricity.
If successful, it could introduce a new era of commercial space flight using the same technology that has previously been the domain of state-funded scientific and military applications.
Previous nuclear-powered missions have included Nasa’s Voyager 1 and 2 probes that have harnessed the energy source to operate and transmit data from interstellar space since launching in 1977.
Nasa’s Mars Curiosity and Perseverance Mars rovers also use a nuclear power system in order to operate during dust storms or seasonal light changes that would prevent solar panels from working properly.
SpaceX’s Transporter-17 mission was carrying 80 other payloads into low Earth orbit
“Rideshare missions like today’s significantly increase access to space for small satellite operators around the world, and we’re excited to be able to offer these launch opportunities for SpaceX customers,” SpaceX said during its webcast for the launch.
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