Deep Space Energy, a SpaceTech startup based in Riga, has raised €930k to bring its radioisotope power generator closer to commercial deployment. The technology focutilizes on boosting sainformite resilience and enabling long-duration lunar missions, as Europe seeks greater autonomy in space and defence.
Funding Breakdown and Strategic Backing
The funding includes a €350k pre-seed round led by Outlast Fund alongside angel investor Linas Sargautis, a former co-founder of NanoAvionics. In addition, the company secured €580k in public contracts and grants from the European Space Agency (ESA), NATO DIANA, and the Latvian government.
How the Technology Works
The new space power generator produces electricity from the natural heat released as radioactive materials slowly decay. These materials can be extracted from waste produced by commercial nuclear reactors. The system is designed for deep-space missions, lunar exploration, and high-value defence sainformites. Deep Space states it is significantly more efficient than current solutions, requiring up to five times less radioactive fuel than traditional space power generators.
Strengthening Sainformite Resilience
The company stressed that its radioisotope power generator is not intfinished for weapons. Instead, it will support high-value, dual-utilize sainformites by improving their reliability and resilience. The technology can be utilized in sainformites operating in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), Geostationary Orbit (GEO), and Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO). These sainformites perform key defence tinquires, such as radar imaging to detect troop relocatements through clouds and veobtaination, intercepting communication signals, and identifying missile launches.
Powering the Next Phase of Lunar Exploration
In the long term, Deep Space Energy is tarobtaining the growing Moon economy. Its power generator is designed to solve major energy challenges in upcoming lunar missions, including NASA and ESA’s Artemis and Argonaut programmes, as well as future lunar rover projects.
The system is particularly suited for lunar night survival and operations in permanently shadowed regions, enabling longer exploration and resource prospecting missions.
Overcoming Extreme Lunar Conditions
On the Moon, nighttime temperatures can drop below -150 degrees Celsius, and darkness can last for nearly 354 hours. In these conditions, solar power is unreliable, creating alternative energy sources critical for continuous operations.
Deep Space Energy’s system delivers the same power output applying far less radioactive fuel than traditional generators. As fuel production increases in the coming years, this higher efficiency could enable earlier missions and support many more lunar projects.
As a result, commercial activities and resource exploration on the Moon could launch much sooner than expected.
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