First commercial nuclear‑powered CubeSat in orbit

SpaceX’s Transporter‑17 rideshare mission delivered City Labs’ BOHR (Betavoltaic Orbital High‑Reliability) CubeSat to a Sun‑synchronous orbit on 7 July 2026. The satellite, equipped with the company’s NanoTritium betavoltaic micro‑battery, converts tritium beta decay into continuous microwatt‑level electricity, supplementing solar panels that power the bus. On 10 July 2026 City Labs confirmed that BOHR had become the first commercially designed and FAA‑approved nuclear‑powered spacecraft operating in orbit, completing the regulatory pathway established under National‑Security Presidential Memorandum‑20 and validated by Sandia National Laboratories.

The mission demonstrates reliable power generation independent of sunlight, supporting experimental payloads for long‑duration operations in permanently shadowed lunar regions, deep‑space probes, and autonomous sensor networks. City Labs cites collaboration with NASA and the U.S. Department of Defense, highlighting the technology’s potential for both civil and national‑security applications. Ongoing monitoring will assess the betavoltaic system’s on‑orbit performance, informing future cislunar and deep‑space missions while underscoring SpaceX’s role in enabling innovative small‑satellite capabilities.