Deep space probes and frontline soldiers share a basic problem: once they leave the grid, every watt has to be carried in. That constraint has shaped mission design for decades, from bulky radioisotope generators on planetary spacecraft to diesel convoys feeding remote bases. A new class of 3D‑printed nuclear batteries promises to flip that logic, turning power from a scarce payload into a long‑lived, customizable infrastructure.
The emerging picture is not just about squeezing more energy into smaller boxes. It is about combining radioisotope power with additive manufacturing so batteries can be tailored to specific missions, printed close to where they are used, and potentially integrated into the very structure of spacecraft or vehicles. If that vision holds, the economics and risk calculus of deep space exploration and defense logistics could shift as dramatically as the move from vacuum tubes to integrated circuits.
Australia’s GenX betavoltaics push nuclear power into the field
Australia has quietly become one of the most aggressive testbeds for this technology, with entX and the University of Adelaide collaborating on a next‑generation betavoltaic battery known as GenX. The device relies on ultra‑thin layers of metals, oxides, and semiconductors that are 3D printed into a compact stack, turning the steady trickle of beta radiation into electrical power for years at a time. Researchers describe GenX as a way to give soldiers and satellites a persistent power source that does not need refueling or sunlight, a stark contrast to today’s lithium packs and solar arrays that degrade or run dry at the worst possible moment.
Project leaders say an Australian‑led additive manufacturing effort is re‑engineering betavoltaics as ultra‑thin, additively manufactured devices to reach power densities that were previously out of reach, a shift they argue fundamentally changes what is possible for long‑duration missions in space and defense, according to An Australian. The same work is being framed as a way to move from laboratory prototypes to field‑ready hardware, with reports describing how GenX is being prepared for customer evaluation and how its architecture could be scaled for different platforms through additive manufacturing, as detailed by Feb.
From lab prototype to rugged kit: scaling entX for space and defense
The real test for GenX is not whether it works in a clean room, but whether it can survive a desert deployment or a multi‑year cruise to Mars. Over the next 14 months, entX and Adelaide University plan to scale their laboratory prototype into a commercial unit that can power long‑duration missions, a timeline that underscores how quickly this niche technology is being pushed toward real‑world use. The vision is concrete: soldiers on a remote laptop, sensors buried in ice, or autonomous platforms holding position for months without the noise and heat signature of a generator.
Reporting on the program describes how the prototype effort is focused on long‑duration missions and how the partners intend to move from a lab device to a product that can keep a soldier at a covert position without a noisy generator, according to Long. Additional coverage notes that soldiers on a remote laptop could be powered by a GenX next‑gen nuclear battery, highlighting the defense use case and the ambition to replace traditional field power systems with 3D‑printed nuclear units, as described in Australia Builds Next. To support that leap, an additive manufacturing center is funding the GenX betavoltaic project as entX targets ultra‑compact power systems for extreme environments and aims to meet or exceed global benchmarks, according to Additive.
US players chase the frontier, from deserts to deep space
Australia is not alone in betting on nuclear batteries as the next strategic power source. In the United States, Zeno Power has positioned itself explicitly around “Nuclear Batteries Powering the Frontier,” harnessing radioisotope decay to generate electricity for customers that range from commercial space operators to defense users. The company’s pitch is simple but potent: a sealed, maintenance‑free power unit that can operate in deserts on Earth, in orbit, or in deep space where solar panels are starved of light.
Zeno Power’s own materials describe how it is harnessing radioisotope decay to generate power for applications that need to be maintenance free for long‑duration missions, framing its systems as nuclear batteries for the frontier, as outlined by Zeno Power. The company has also attracted significant investment, with reports that Zeno Power raised $50 million to expand its nuclear battery deployments in space and at sea and that Richardson joined the firm at what he called a strategic moment for nuclear innovation, arguing that Zeno’s nuclear batteries provide safe, reliable power for long‑duration missions, according to Zeno. Separate coverage of the sector notes that a US nuclear battery firm aims to deliver its first commercial units for deserts on Earth, space, and military missions, with the effort framed as “Military to Mars” and highlighting how Zeno Power wants to power space and defense missions that echo radioisotope systems used on space missions since the 1960s, as described in Military.
NASA, KULR and the logic of printing power in place
While companies like entX and Zeno focus on manufacturing nuclear batteries on Earth, NASA and its partners are probing a complementary idea: printing batteries in space so power systems can be shaped to the mission and location. Work with KULR Technology Group, Inc has explored 3D printing of PPR batteries that meet strict safety standards while reducing the need to launch bulky spares, an approach that frees up mass and volume for other payloads. The underlying logic is that if you can print structural components on orbit, you should be able to print energy storage too.
Reports on this collaboration explain that apart from meeting safety standards, an important advantage of 3D printing KULR’s PPR batteries in space is a significantly lower need to launch spare batteries, which frees up room for other valuable items and equipment, according to Apart. Additional coverage notes that KULR Technology Group, Inc received a dual‑use technology development award from NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center to advance 3D printing of batteries in space, highlighting how the agency sees in‑situ manufacturing as a way to reduce launch mass and improve safety, as described by KULR. Parallel research on lunar infrastructure has introduced the concept of VPP, a system that would allow lunar inhabitants to make shape‑conformable batteries to fit wherever they are needed, from smaller spacecraft to surface habitats, instead of hauling every battery from Earth, according to VPP.
High‑power betavoltaics and the race for efficiency
Behind these deployment stories sits a quieter race in device physics. NASA’s High Power Betavoltaic Technology project is exploring how to use radioisotope sources in new architectures that can provide a cost‑effective share of total power for high‑value deep space missions. The work, carried out with partners including Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, is aimed at missions where traditional solar or chemical batteries cannot operate reliably, such as shadowed craters or the outer solar system.
According to project descriptions, the effort is focused on high power betavoltaic technology that could supply a cost‑effective fraction of total power for deep space missions in collaboration with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, as outlined in Jan. A related NASA initiative on a High Energy Long Life Betavoltaic Battery describes a proposed betavoltaic p/n junction that can be stacked in a box or rolled into a cylinder and that will provide a cost saving of up to 90 compared with traditional batteries in some applications, particularly where conventional cells cannot operate, according to Jan. In parallel, commercial players are pushing efficiency boundaries, with Infinity Power stating that its nuclear battery technology is scalable from nanowatts to kilowatts or more and that it is preparing for mass production on the market, as reported by Infinity Power.
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*This article was researched with the help of AI, with human editors creating the final content.
