Surviving lunar night with radioisotope energy

Surviving lunar night with radioisotope energy
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Apr 15, 2025

At the 40th Space Symposium, ispace technologies U.S., inc. (ispace-U.S.) and Zeno Power Systems, Inc. (Zeno Power) announced a joint initiative to develop power systems that enable sustained operations during the Moon's prolonged periods of darkness. The strategic agreement sets the stage for a demonstration mission as early as 2027.

Surviving the lunar night has been identified by NASA as one of the primary technological obstacles for establishing a long-term presence on the Moon. With surface temperatures falling below -173 oC (-280 oF) and no sunlight for 14 consecutive Earth days, conventional solar and battery systems are insufficient to support extended missions or infrastructure deployment.

To meet this challenge, ispace-U.S. and Zeno Power have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) focused on integrating Zeno Power's advanced radioisotope power systems (RPS) into upcoming lunar missions. RPS units deliver continuous heat and electricity independent of solar input, offering a resilient solution to lunar night survival.

"We are thrilled to collaborate with Zeno Power to address one of the most critical challenges for lunar exploration-power during the lunar night. Zeno Power's cutting-edge power technology offers a reliable solution that will allow us to sustain lunar operations through even the harshest conditions, which is essential for our lunar missions and any long-term lunar exploration endeavors," said Elizabeth Kryst, CEO of ispace-U.S.

"Powering through the lunar night is key to unlocking a sustained human and robotic presence on the Moon," said Tyler Bernstein, Co-Founder and CEO of Zeno Power. "Through our work with ispace-U.S., we're delivering power systems that not only enable missions to survive in the darkness - but also to operate and thrive through it."

The announcement also comes as ispace accelerates development across its international divisions. Mission 2, led by ispace Japan, launched on January 15, 2025, completed a successful lunar flyby in February, and is en route to the Moon. That mission will deploy the TENACIOUS micro rover to test regolith extraction and surface mobility technologies. Mission 3, expected in 2026, will see the debut of the APEX 1.0 lander under the direction of ispace-U.S. A fourth mission using the new Series 3 lander, designed in Japan, is scheduled for launch in 2027.