Latvian startup Deep Space Energy SIA has successfully secured €930,000 (approximately $1.1 million) in pre-seed funding aimed at advancing its innovative radioscopic generator technology designed for Europe’s space and defense sectors, with a particular focus on lunar electricity generation. The funding round was led by Outlast Fund and angel investor Linas Sargautis, a co-founder of Nano Avionics, while the remaining funds were sourced from public contracts and grants facilitated by the European Space Agency, NATO DIANA, and the Latvian government.
Deep Space Energy is pioneering a dual-use energy solution that repurposes radioisotopes, sourced from nuclear waste, to generate thermal energy through natural decay processes. As stated by founder and CEO Mihails Ščepanskis, the technology efficiently converts this heat into electrical power, utilizing significantly less radioisotope fuel—only one-fifth of that required by existing thermoelectric generators typically employed in space missions.
Key Highlights:
- Energy Technology Validation: The technology has already undergone laboratory validation, showcasing its potential applications in defense and space sectors.
- Satellite Applications: The focus is on multiple satellite types, primarily non-weaponized dual-use orbital arrays critical for reconnaissance and early-warning systems in medium Earth orbit, geostationary orbit, and highly elliptical orbit.
Aiming for the Moon
In the long-term vision, Deep Space Energy seeks to support Europe’s aspirations for lunar exploration. The utilization of radioisotopes could address significant power challenges in areas beyond Earth’s orbit, especially in lunar exploration regions where conventional energy generation methods face obstacles. Given the extreme conditions on the Moon—temperatures plummeting below -150 degrees Celsius and extended nighttime periods lasting approximately 354 hours—rovers cannot rely solely on solar energy.
For instance, the company calculates that 2 kilograms of Americium-241 fuel can generate 50 watts of power for lunar rovers, in contrast to the 10 kilograms required by traditional systems. Currently, the annual production of Americium-241 is around a few kilograms but is projected to increase to 10 kilograms by the mid-2030s.
Ščepanskis emphasizes that this technology could drastically enhance the cost-effectiveness of lunar missions, extending their operational timelines to accommodate multiple day-night cycles and potentially accelerating lunar exploration by up to five years. With payload transport costs to the Moon reaching up to a million euros per kilogram, extending rover lifespans could yield savings in the hundreds of millions.
Egita Poļanska, a partner at Outlast Fund, notes, “Space energy tech has faced persistent limitations for decades, but we are approaching a breakthrough. Deep Space Energy is on the brink of creating a foundation that will power the next frontier of space exploration and industrial applications.”
