Autonomous Tritium Micropowered Sensors

The proposal focuses on designing an ultrathin light weight tritium betavoltaic into an NMP for integrating various scientific  instruments. Tritium-powered NMPs support diverse applications, from planetary science to scouting missions for human exploration. A key innovation is tritium betavoltaic power sources, providing long-duration energy in extreme  environments. The proposed 5cm x 5cm gram-scale device supports lunar spectroscopy and other applications.

In-situ analyses at  the Moon's south pole are challenging due to cold, limited solar power, and prolonged darkness. Tritium betavoltaics harvest energy  from radioactive decay, enabling autonomous sensing in environments unsuitable for conventional photovoltaics and chemical-based  batteries.  This approach enables large-scale deployment for high-resolution remote sensing. For instance, a distributed NMP array could map  lunar water resources, aiding Artemis missions. Beyond the Moon, tritium-powered platforms enable a class of missions to Mars,  Europa, Enceladus, and asteroids, where alternative power sources are impractical.  

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.