Deep Space Energy, Latvia, is developing its radioisotope power generator while the UK awards grants for in-orbit manufacturing.
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Deep Space Energy has created an energy generation technology based on radioisotopes, derived from nuclear waste, that generate heat through their natural decay.
Founder and CEO of the company Mihails Ščepanskis says their solution requires five times less fuel than radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) currently used in space.
It aims to support sustainable power generation for lunar missions and enhanced resilience for strategic satellite infrastructure in Europe.
Ščepanskis says, ‘We’re developing an auxiliary energy source to enhance the resilience of strategic satellites. It provides the redundancy of satellite power systems by supplying backup power that does not depend on solar energy, making it crucial for high-value military reconnaissance assets.’
The technology requires approximately 2kg of Americium-241 fuel to generate 50W of power for a lunar rover, compared to the roughly 10kg of fuel needed for comparable output from legacy RTG systems.
The company secured a total of €930,000 in its pre-seed funding round, which includes €350,000 in private contributions from angel investor Outlast Fund and Linas Sargautis (former Co-Founder of NanoAvionics), as well as €580,000 in public grants from the Government of Latvia, European Space Agency (ESA) and NATO DIANA.
This funding will be used to further develop Deep Space Energy’s radioisotopic generator towards commercialisation.
The team highlights that their generator is not designed for use in weapons, and that they will instead target increased resilience and operational reliability in high-value, dual-use satellites.
Their primary focus is Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), Geostationary Orbit (GEO) and Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) satellites – all critical for modern military reconnaissance and early-warning systems.
Another focus is lunar expeditions, such as NASA and ESA’s Artemis, Argonaut and lunar rover programmes, and the Moon Village framework.
The radioisotope generator could address energy challenges and enable extended scouting and prospecting missions, particularly in permanently shadowed regions, where rovers can’t rely on solar power.
Meanwhile, three UK companies investigating production of advanced manufacturing materials in Low Earth Orbit have been awarded contracts by the UK Space Agency.
Conditions such as microgravity, natural vacuum and extreme temperatures can be leveraged to create products that are expensive, difficult, or impossible to manufacture on Earth.
The researchers will assess technical feasibility, mature key technologies and credible routes to market for in-orbit servicing, assembly and manufacturing (ISAM). The government identifies this as a priority capability area for UK leadership, growth and national security.
The three contracts were awarded to:
BioOrbit, for its ‘PHARM’ study, designing an end-to-end mission to manufacture drugs in microgravity. This allows perfect, reproducible protein crystals for drug formulations that can’t be achieved on Earth, enabling at-home administration of cancer treatments (£250,000)
Space Forge, for its ‘2Forge2Furious’ study, demonstrating commercial production of semiconductor seed crystals in orbit, for improved efficiency, reliability and power density of high-power electronic devices. (£300,000)
OrbiSky, for its ‘SkyYield’ study, developing a payload for processing ZBLAN fluoride glass in microgravity. ZBLAN is a specialist optical fibre that can transmit light with up to 100 times less signal loss than traditional silica fibres. (£295,000)
Funding is provided by the UK Space Agency’s Sustainability & ISAM and Unlocking Space programmes, which support growth of the UK space sector.