Nuclear batteries are used in spacecraft, rovers and probes to enable them to operate for long periods of time to explore the solar system. They have already been used in the Voyager I and II space probes that passed by the moon and the Chang’e‑3 rover on the surface of the moon.
Scientists from Northwest Normal University and Gansu Zhulong Technology in China announced the successful development of the Qianjiyuan Tianshu nuclear battery that can last for up to 5,730 years. It uses the isotope Carbon-14 and a silicon-carbon material to generate electrical power.
It directs beta particles from decay into a silicon carbide semiconductor, which then excites electrons to produce a short-circuit current of 0.713 µA and an open-circuit voltage of 2.06V. All this is produced by a 16.8 cm³ battery and 129 millicuries of Carbon-14.
Qianjiyuan Tianshu is an improvement to the Zhulong-1 nuclear battery prototype that was demonstrated in 2024. Researchers are targeting the use of this battery for medical implants (pacemakers), use in deep-sea and polar regions, and defense and aerospace applications.
