Harmonia radioisotope power system

Why it matters

Solar power disappears for about 14 days at a time on most of the Moon and never reaches permanently shadowed craters at the south pole. Without a power source that works in the dark, landers and rovers freeze.

How the technology works

Americium-241, an isotope now classed as nuclear waste, gives off heat as it decays. A Stirling generator turns that heat into electricity, which Zeno says is about three times as efficient as older radioisotope power systems.

NASA funded the work in 2023 with a $15M Tipping Point award; Blue Origin, Intuitive Machines, Sunpower and NASA Glenn are partners.