World's First Betavoltaic Nuclear Satellite Just Launched to Test a New Era of Space Power

World's First Betavoltaic Nuclear Satellite Just Launched to Test a New Era of Space Power

(Image Credit: City Labs) Welcome to this edition of The Intelligence Brief… This week, a new milestone has been reached in space technology, with the launch of the world’s first satellite equipped with a commercial betavoltaic nuclear power system. The satellite was carried to orbit on a a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Tuesday, and in our analysis, we’ll be looking at 1) how the next generation of compact nuclear power systems are now being tested …

World’s First Commercial Nuclear-Powered Satellite Set For Launch Aboard SpaceX Rocket

World’s First Commercial Nuclear-Powered Satellite Set For Launch Aboard SpaceX Rocket Authored by Mrigakshi Dixit via Interesting Engineering, Miami-based City Labs is all set to launch the world’s first commercial nuclear-powered satellite into orbit. NanoTritium battery Citi Labs Solar panels have some challenges. When a satellite slips into the shadow of the Earth, hits a permanently...

World's First Commercial Nuclear-Powered Satellite Set For Launch Aboard SpaceX Rocket

World's First Commercial Nuclear-Powered Satellite Set For Launch Aboard SpaceX Rocket Authored by Mrigakshi Dixit via Interesting Engineering, Miami-based City Labs is all set to launch the world's first commercial nuclear-powered satellite into orbit. NanoTritium battery Citi Labs Solar panels have some challenges. When a satellite slips into the shadow of the Earth, hits a permanently dark lunar crater, or drifts into deep space, its solar ar…

In July 2026, a Miami startup called City Labs sent a softball-sized CubeSat carrying a tritium battery into orbit on SpaceX's Transporter-17 rideshare, becoming the first commercially built nuclear-powered satellite ever launched and the first mission ever cleared through the Federal Aviation Administration's new nuclear licensing process

A softball-sized satellite from a small Miami company has quietly rewritten the rules of who gets to fly nuclear power in space. City Labs’ BOHR spacecraft reached orbit early Tuesday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9, becoming the first commercially built nuclear-powered satellite ever launched and the first mission to clear the Federal Aviation Administration’s new commercial nuclear launch approval process. The Betavoltaic Orbital High-Reliability sat…

Miami-based City Labs achieves a first for commercial nuclear power in space

The BOHR mission serves as a pathfinder for future nuclear-powered spacecraft."

First-ever nuclear-powered payload now in orbit after successful SpaceX launch