NASA Develops Batteries to Power Humanity’s Return to Moon
If you’ve ever had your car start sluggishly, or not at all, on a particularly frigid winter morning, you know standard batteries do not like extreme cold. That’s why NASA researchers are working to develop a battery that could function in the brutal cold of the Moon’s South Pole, where nighttime temperatures plunge to minus […] The post NASA Develops Batteries to Power Humanity’s Return to Moon…
NASA researchers are working on a battery technology called Solid Power for Extreme Environment Adaptability and Resilience in Space (SPEARS) to power humanity's return to the Moon. Standard batteries struggle in the Moon's extreme cold, which can cause them to freeze or fail. The SPEARS batteries replace the liquid electrolyte in conventional batteries with a solid ceramic or polymer material, allowing them to function in both the extreme cold and heat of the Moon's South Pole.
Thermal vacuum testing at NASA's Langley Research Center showed that SPEARS batteries can operate in temperatures ranging from 176 F (80 C) down to minus 76 F (minus 60 C), with reduced performance down to minus 112 F (minus 80 C). The batteries were able to withstand exposure to temperature extremes without sustaining damage, making them reliable for the Moon's dramatic temperature swings.
These solid-state batteries could power everything from an astronaut's emergency kit to rovers exploring the Moon's darkest craters, providing a crucial tool for sustained lunar operations through NASA's Artemis campaign.
Written by urgent.news from NASA Science's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
