Engineers at compact fusion company nT-Tao have brought a 50-megawatt pulsed-power subsystem into active service. The hardware delivers high-energy bursts to the company’s C3 prototype, a machine designed to test magnetic confinement in dense plasma regimes.

This installation marks a critical step toward exceeding 1.5 million degrees Celsius, the highest thermal benchmark recorded on the platform to date.

Injecting large bursts of electricity into an ionized gas triggers severe circuit instability. As the plasma heats up during each pulse, its internal electrical properties fluctuate within fractions of a millisecond. These rapid swings alter the electrical impedance of both the plasma and the delivery hardware.

“The power must also be controlled precisely as the electrical characteristics of the system and the plasma change rapidly during each pulse,” said the company in a press release.

If the supply fails to match these shifts instantly, electrical resonance breaks down and the gas reflects energy back into the driving circuits. To prevent this loss, nT-Tao paired the 50-megawatt unit with a proprietary real-time nonlinear control system.

Nonlinear real-time tuning

The controller tracks circuit changes during the pulse and updates operating parameters continuously. This active tuning maintains resonance throughout the discharge, ensuring maximal energy transfers into the plasma core under fast-varying conditions.

CTO and co-founder Boaz Weinfeld pointed out that generating 50 megawatts is relatively straightforward compared to the task of coordinating 50 separate modules in real time. The primary engineering accomplishment lies in forcing multiple units to function as one synchronized circuit.

The physical power supply expands the company’s Modular Energy Generator Architecture, known as MEGA. The setup distributes the power load across 50 compact units called Power Electronic Generators (PEGs), rather than relying on a single, large power source. Each PEG produces approximately 1 megawatt of output.

Technicians grouped these generators into ten parallel branches, placing five parallel-wired modules on each branch. The complete network operates across switching frequencies between 50 and 2,000 kilohertz.

“It represents a roughly five-fold scale-up from an earlier generation that integrated 12 PEGs into an approximately 10 MW system,” added the company.

Hardware scalability and recent milestones

Using 1-megawatt modules provides practical manufacturing and operational advantages. Technicians can connect modules in series or parallel arrangements to meet specific circuit requirements. According to Weinfeld, fusion systems that cannot be produced at scale will fail commercially. Standardized, repeatable modules keep the physical footprint compact and allow capacity growth without redesigning core hardware.

The 50-megawatt power feed supports a broader strategy to turn plasma physics theory into viable, compact reactor hardware. Assembly took two months, with the machine reaching operational status and firing initial plasma pulses in January.

That testbed followed an earlier experimental series with the C2-A machine, which registered plasma temperatures around 100 electronvolts, or about 10^6 degrees Celsius.

By combining modular power electronics with high-speed nonlinear controls, the team has established the electrical drive required to push plasma past those early milestones toward commercial reactor temperatures.

“Together, the 50 PEGs and the real-time controller form the power architecture subsystem intended to deliver large amounts of energy to the plasma in precisely controlled pulses, moving nT-Tao closer to its next temperature milestone on the path toward a commercially viable compact fusion system,” concluded the company.

V2X, a U.S. defense technology company, will help integrate the Air Force’s next-generation Long Range Standoff (LRSO) cruise missile with B-52 bombers under a $46 million order.

Announced on September 15, the work involves producing carriage equipment that will support the deployment of the new weapon from the B-52 Stratofortress. 

The LRSO will replace the Air-Launched Cruise Missile the service currently uses, helping maintain its long-range strike capability against evolving threats.

Based in Reston, Virginia, V2X provides integrated mission solutions across the air, land, sea, space, and cyber domains. Its work includes engineering, manufacturing, sustainment, and mission support for defense customers.

Preparing B-52s for the LRSO missile

V2X was awarded a position on the delivery order through the Enterprise-Wide Agile Acquisition Contract, an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract.

Under the order, the company will produce the carriage equipment needed to support the integration of the LRSO weapon system with the B-52. 

The equipment will help prepare the bomber to carry the new cruise missile as the Air Force advances the wider modernization program.

The LRSO is designed for deployment from the B-52 and will replace the Air-Launched Cruise Missile currently in service. According to V2X, the transition will ensure that the Air Force retains an effective long-range strike capability for decades to come.

Strengthening the US strategic deterrent

The U.S. Air Force considers the LRSO program a critical modernization effort and an essential part of the country’s strategic deterrent.

V2X said its role in the program reinforces the company’s involvement in advancing next-generation defense capabilities. The carriage equipment will support mission readiness while enabling the Air Force to integrate its new weapon with the existing bomber platform.

“Supporting the modernization of the B-52 and our nation’s strategic deterrent is a responsibility we take seriously,” said Jeremy C. Wensinger, President and Chief Executive Officer of V2X. 

“This award reflects the trust our customer places in V2X to deliver high-quality solutions that enable mission success and support one of the Air Force’s highest modernization priorities,” he added.

Supporting complex defense missions

V2X develops solutions that combine physical and digital environments by aligning people, actions, and technology. The company works across different stages of a critical mission’s lifecycle to improve readiness, strengthen security, and optimize resource management.

Its experience in engineering, manufacturing, sustainment, and mission support enables it to help customers address complex defense challenges and evolving operational requirements.

The LRSO assignment expands that work by placing V2X within a major Air Force modernization program. Its production responsibilities will directly support the equipment required to integrate the cruise missile with the B-52.

Through the effort, V2X will help prepare the bomber fleet for a new generation of long-range weapons as the Air Force moves to replace its currently fielded Air-Launched Cruise Missile.

Nitride Global, a US developer of advanced thermal-management, dielectric, and semiconductor materials, will study a centimeter-scale quantum sensor designed to support navigation when GPS signals are unavailable.

The Wichita-based company announced on September 14 that it had received an AFWERX Small Business Innovation Research Phase I contract supporting the Department of the Air Force.

The project will assess the feasibility of a microwave atom-chip quantum sensor for precision navigation and remote-sensing gravimetry.

Known as the Atom-Interferometer Microwave Atom Chip, or A-MAC, the proposed device will be evaluated using Nitride Global’s aluminum oxynitride platform.

Navigation without satellite signals

The project addresses a challenge faced by Airmen and Guardians operating in environments where GPS signals may be jammed, spoofed, or completely unavailable.

Conventional inertial navigation systems accumulate errors over time. Without periodic satellite updates, those errors cause positional uncertainty to increase, restricting how long and how far a platform can operate independently.

Atom interferometers offer a potential alternative because they measure acceleration and rotation against the wavelength of a matter wave. Nitride Global said these systems are among the most stable inertial sensors demonstrated so far.

However, most leading systems still occupy a meter or more of laboratory bench space. According to the company, the principal obstacle to miniaturization is the packaging surrounding the sensor rather than its underlying physics.

Compact microwave atom chips continue to rely on distributed radio-frequency hardware. The resulting heat and phase drift can degrade measurements, making the technology difficult to deploy outside controlled laboratory environments.

Bringing microwave hardware onto one board

Nitride Global’s A-MAC architecture is intended to consolidate the distributed microwave chain onto a single integrated board.

Its thin, conformal AlON dielectric material would allow microwave routing, coupling structures, and trap geometry to be positioned within the same stack. Heat would move outward through metal instead of passing through a bulk ceramic substrate.

The aim is to create a centimeter-scale architecture suitable for platforms with strict size, weight, and power requirements.

Nitride Global will work with Dr. Seth Aubin, associate professor of physics at William & Mary.

Aubin’s atomic physics group will participate as a subcontractor and research partner, bringing more than a decade of work on microwave atom-chip traps and related trapping physics.

During the initial phase, the partners will model the architecture’s thermal behavior, microwave insertion loss, coupling, and possible trap geometries. The work will conclude with a decision gate and technical roadmap for a potential second phase.

From laboratories to contested environments

The technology could eventually support satellite-independent positioning, navigation, and timing across hypersonic vehicles, unmanned aircraft, orbital systems, submerged platforms, autonomous ground vehicles, and UAV interceptors.

Commercial applications could include resource exploration, infrastructure monitoring, and subsurface mapping.

“Quantum inertial sensing has been constrained for the same reason power electronics were constrained a decade ago: the limit is set by the package, not by the physics. If microwave routing and thermal management can be carried on the same material system, the instrument becomes small enough to fly,” said Mahyar Khosravi, CEO of Nitride Global.

The company is now seeking input from aerospace and defense integrators to define the sensor’s form factor, environmental requirements, and performance thresholds.

Holcim, a global building materials and solutions company, has agreed to deploy two Joule Hive Thermal Battery units developed by Boston-based Electrified Thermal Solutions as part of its industrial electrification roadmap.

Announced on September 15, the agreement will allow the building materials company to evaluate electric heating technology for its high-temperature cement operations.

The batteries will store clean electricity as heat inside electrically and thermally conductive bricks.

That energy can then be discharged on demand at temperatures reaching 3,275°F, offering Holcim a potential route to reduce its reliance on combustion for industrial heat.

Electrifying one of industry’s hardest processes

Cement production requires process temperatures that regularly exceed the capabilities of conventional electric heating systems. As a result, combustion has remained the default means of generating heat across much of the sector.

Electrified Thermal’s technology is designed to address this limitation by converting electricity into heat and retaining it inside specially developed bricks. The stored thermal energy can later be supplied to an industrial process when required.

The initial deployment will include two Joule Hive Thermal Battery units. However, the companies did not disclose where the systems will be installed or when they are expected to begin operating.

“Electrifying high-temperature industrial heat is one of the advanced technologies we are incorporating in our decarbonization strategy, and this deployment allows us to evaluate its potential,” said Ram Muthu, Head of Operational Excellence at Holcim.

“Working with Electrified Thermal gives us a path to accelerate decarbonization as part of our industry-shaping sustainability roadmap,” he added.

From clean electricity to extreme heat

Industrial heat accounts for roughly one-fifth of global energy consumption. The processes requiring the highest temperatures, including those used in cement, steel and chemical production, have largely remained beyond the reach of existing electric alternatives.

By delivering temperatures of up to 3,275°F, the Joule Hive system is intended to bring electrification into this particularly difficult segment. The Holcim agreement also gives Electrified Thermal its third global industrial partner across the cement, steel and chemical sectors.

“Holcim’s decision to deploy our technology validates years of work to bring electrified heat to high-temperature industrial-scale applications that no other technology or company can achieve,” said Daniel Stack, CEO and co-founder of Electrified Thermal Solutions.

“This agreement follows the recent turn-on and successful 1,000+ hours of operation of our commercial demonstration system and shows that global industrial producers are ready to move this technology from demonstration to deployment. We look forward to expanding this relationship with Holcim over time,” he added.

Moving beyond the demonstration stage

The agreement builds on an existing relationship between the companies, with Holcim also participating as an investor in Electrified Thermal Solutions.

It follows the commissioning of Electrified Thermal’s commercial demonstration system in San Antonio, Texas, earlier in 2026. The megawatt-scale installation has completed more than 1,000 hours of operation, according to the company.

The Holcim deployment will now take the technology from demonstration toward use by a major industrial producer. Both companies are also evaluating further opportunities to deploy the thermal battery across Holcim’s operations.

Researchers at the Swiss institutes of ETH Zurich and Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in Villigen have produced an intense beam of cold atoms that they plan to use to test Einstein’s theory of gravity. This cold beam consists of muonium, a second-generation antiparticle, and the researchers want to test its interaction with gravity to know if another force of nature also exists that we haven’t spotted yet. 

The matter we see around us is made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons, which scientists call the first generation of particles. The other two generations of particles are heavier than the first-generation particles but also unstable and rapidly decay into first-generation particles. 

A muon is the heavier cousin of an electron from the second generation of particles. Researchers at PSI have successfully generated muons and their antiparticles using a particle accelerator. When such an antimuon combines with an electron, a neutral muonium atom is formed. Together with researchers at ETH Zurich, the scientists want to measure how the muonium atom falls under gravity. 

Gravity on second-generation particles

From the times of Galileo, through Newton and then Einstein, physicists have confirmed the universality of free fall. This equivalence principle states that all bodies inside a gravitational field fall with the same acceleration, irrespective of their mass or internal structure. 

Einstein used this principle as a foundational pillar for this famous theory of relativity, but this has only been tested on matter and antimatter particles of the first generation. Measuring this on a muonium atom would be the first instance of testing it on a second-generation particle. 

Muonium is well suited for this experiment because it is electrically neutral. In comparison, a charged particle can be impacted by stray magnetic fields and mask the effect of the weak force of gravity. 

How muonium beam helps

A major hurdle in performing such an experiment has been the quick decay of muonium. In addition to their rapid decay in just 2.2 microseconds, muonium produced in previous attempts also traveled at different speeds, making it difficult to conduct experiments with them. 

PSI researchers used a quantum fluid to generate a steady flow of muonium atoms. “We used superfluid helium that was cooled to near absolute zero at minus 273 degrees Celsius,” explained Jesse Zhang, researcher at PSI in a press release. “Superfluid helium is a so-called quantum liquid in which the individual helium atoms lose their identity and do not like impurities inside.”

Antimouns generated in the PSI’s particle accelerator were then shot into the quantum liquid, where they meet free electrons and form the muonium atom. A positive chemical potential formed during this reaction kicks the muonium atom to the surface, where the chemical potential is converted to kinetic energy, shooting it vertically out of the liquid. 

The researchers now plan to build an interferometer that will use the wave properties of the muonium atom to create an interference pattern capable of detecting the impact of gravity on the muonium. The device might take two to three years to build, but when ready, it will answer an important question that has long been pending: does gravity act differently on exotic matter? 

If gravity does indeed act differently, it would point to the presence of a fifth force of nature. For now, the team is focused on determining if the equivalence principle applies to the second generation of particles. 

The research findings were published in the journal Nature Physics.

A newly developed CT scanner small enough to hold in one hand can now produce detailed 3D images of tiny fossils and archaeological relics. Researchers built the Xtomo-Cube, a device roughly the size of a desktop speaker. It weighs just 6 kilograms (13.2 pounds), earning it a nickname that undersells just how compact it really is.

Liu Baodong, a senior engineer at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and general manager of the company behind the device, described the machine’s standing plainly. It holds the title of world’s smallest and lightest CT system, earning it the nickname “palm-sized CT scanner.”

The device carries a spatial resolution of 80 micrometers, roughly the width of a human hair. That precision lets it analyze objects ranging from snail shells to medicine capsules.

Squeezed into four liters

The machine draws only about 200 watts of power, low enough to run off an ordinary portable power bank during fieldwork. Liu said every key component, including the X-ray source, rotating platform, and detector, was developed and manufactured domestically.

The previous record holder for smallest CT machine was a German-developed device weighing 19 kilograms, more than three times the new scanner’s weight. Liu described the central engineering challenge as squeezing an X-ray source, detector, and rotating platform into a four-liter package while still maintaining fine imaging detail.

From 3 meters to handheld

CT scanning uses X-rays captured from multiple angles to build a detailed 3D model of an object’s internal structure. The first clinical CT scanner appeared in London in 1971, built by British engineer Godfrey Hounsfield. That original machine measured 3 meters (9.8 feet) long, could only scan a patient’s head, and took roughly five minutes to generate just two 2D images.

Hospitals today rely on CT scanners routinely to spot tumors, internal bleeding, and other injuries. Researchers also use similar machines to examine fossils, archaeological finds, and industrial components without causing damage. Despite those expanding applications, CT scanners have remained large and heavy. A typical hospital scanner stands roughly 2 meters tall and wide and weighs around 2 metric tons, while some industrial systems grow even larger.

Liu compared the range of CT scanners to vehicles, from sports cars to trucks, describing the new device as the compact car of the category. He said the goal was never to scan everything, but specifically to look inside small objects that existing large machines handle poorly.

The scanner’s compact size and relatively low-energy X-rays could also suit university classrooms and research labs. Unlike many commercial CT systems, its settings and raw imaging data remain open to users. That openness lets students and researchers experiment directly with how CT images are collected, reconstructed, and improved.

Aerial mapping crews have long faced an awkward tradeoff: fly low enough to resolve a power line, and a single mission barely covers a fraction of the corridor. Fly high enough to cover ground efficiently, and thin objects that matter most start disappearing into the noise. Ouster says its Rev8 OS1 Max native color lidar sensor eliminates that compromise, delivering twice the precision and accuracy of its previous generation for drone-based mapping.

The company announced surging customer momentum for the sensor. Payload integrators and drone manufacturers across the aerial mapping market are selecting it for utility corridor inspection, infrastructure management, and defense applications. Powered by Ouster’s L4 Max chip, the sensor pairs 256 channels of survey-grade 3D range data with native 48-bit color. That combination lets operators maintain fine detail even at high survey altitudes.

Twice the prior precision

The Rev8 OS1 Max produces low-noise point clouds with thin surface walls. It reaches plus-or-minus 0.25 centimeters of precision and plus-or-minus 1.25 centimeters of accuracy, twice the precision and accuracy of the previous Rev7 generation. Every sensor undergoes calibration across range, reflectivity, temperature, and beam angle before shipping, keeping results consistent from one unit to the next.

Tighter beam collimation gives the sensor a spot size up to 50 percent smaller than Rev7. That keeps power lines, wires, branches, and canopy gaps cleanly resolved rather than blurring into surrounding surfaces. With 200 meters of range at 10 percent reflectivity, that detail holds at the altitudes mapping teams typically fly, roughly 80 to 120 meters above ground. That range lets operators fly wider swaths and cover corridors in fewer passes.

Color at the sensor

Unlike conventional systems that align a separate camera with lidar data afterward, the Rev8 OS1 Max assigns RGB color values directly at the detector. Because color and geometry are captured by the same sensor at the silicon level, there’s no parallax between them and no separate calibration step. That design shortens the colorization work that normally sits between flight and finished deliverable.

Ouster’s Rev8 OS digital lidar sensors are designed and developed in the US. They comply with supply chain security standards under Section 164 of the FY2025 National Defense Authorization Act. The company also offers Build America, Buy America Act-certified sensors for government, utility, and enterprise operators with domestic sourcing requirements.

Built for harsh conditions

The sensor carries IP68 and IP69K ingress protection, 100 G shock resistance, and an operating range of minus 40 to plus 85 degrees Celsius. It’s built to handle extreme weather across multirotor and fixed-wing drone platforms. Stuart Landesberg, CEO of drone mapping company Seneca, said the durability rating has proven invaluable for fire agency partners operating in unforgiving heat and cold. It lets crews fly in conditions that would ground other platforms.

Frank Darmayan, CEO of GeoCue, said pairing the company’s TrueView payloads with the Rev8 OS1 Max lets it offer a compliant, high-performance option for customers monitoring critical infrastructure. Beyond aerial surveying, Flyability is evaluating Ouster’s Rev8 OS0 lidar for its collision-tolerant Elios 3 drone, aiming to bring native color 3D mapping into hazardous, GPS-denied industrial environments. Ouster is showcasing the Rev8 OS1 Max at INTERGEO in Munich this week, running September 15 through 17.

BAE Systems has unveiled a new electronic warfare family aimed at giving small aircraft stronger protection in contested airspace. The Shadow EW family targets a growing need for compact systems that can fit space-constrained platforms.

The new products focus on electronic sensing and self-protection without demanding the size, weight, or power of traditional systems. BAE Systems also designed them for rapid production, making larger-scale deployment more practical.

The architecture uses commercially available microchips to support computing needs and simplify the supply chain. That approach could help BAE Systems produce systems faster as demand for affordable EW grows.

Compact EW

Small drones and other airborne systems increasingly operate near sophisticated electronic threats. Their limited payload capacity makes traditional EW equipment difficult to integrate.

Shadow EW addresses that constraint with small, lightweight hardware designed around open architecture principles. The systems can also receive software updates after deployment.

That software-defined approach gives operators another way to respond as adversaries change their electronic signatures and tactics. Hardware configurations can also adapt to different platforms and mission requirements.

BAE Systems says the family can support both manned and unmanned aircraft. Its platform-agnostic design aims to preserve valuable payload capacity while adding radio-frequency capabilities.

The systems can support several EW functions, including threat awareness, targeting, deception, and survivability. They can also participate in collaborative electronic effects across multiple platforms.

Commercial chips drive scale

BAE Systems is leaning on commercial components to make high-volume EW production more achievable. Commercial microchips can provide substantial computing performance without requiring specialized hardware for every configuration.

The strategy also reduces dependence on highly customized components. That can simplify procurement and help manufacturers respond more quickly to changing production requirements.

Production scalability sits at the center of Shadow EW’s design philosophy. BAE Systems plans to use established manufacturing methods to support larger orders and faster deliveries.

That matters as the U.S. military explores more affordable ways to equip increasingly numerous autonomous and expendable systems. Electronic warfare capability becomes harder to scale when every platform requires an expensive bespoke solution.

Software keeps EW adaptable

Shadow EW separates much of the system’s adaptability from its physical hardware. Operators can configure capabilities around specific threats and platform architectures.

Software updates provide another path for changing the system after deployment. That flexibility could prove important against adversaries that frequently modify their electronic warfare techniques.

Rebecca Cruz, director of Shadow EW products at BAE Systems, said battlefield conditions are changing rapidly. She said even smaller platforms need adaptable electronic warfare protection.

The family is designed around a configurable approach that lets customers select capabilities suited to individual missions. BAE Systems describes the result as an affordable Electronic Warfare option built for broader fielding.

The company has not disclosed specific performance figures for individual Shadow EW variants. Details such as detection ranges, frequency coverage, power consumption, and platform integration options remain limited.

The engineering approach focuses on shrinking EW hardware while using software to keep the systems adaptable. Commercial-scale manufacturing also helps BAE Systems keep production costs under control.

A Wisconsin battery materials company has secured a $1.25 million US Department of Energy contract to scale production of an anode material designed to reduce reliance on mined graphite and improve how lithium-ion battery systems track their charge.

COnovate will use the 24-month development contract to advance commercial-scale production of its eCOphite anode material. The award comes through the DOE’s Critical Minerals and Materials Accelerator Program.

Unlike conventional graphite anodes, eCOphite is positioned as a graphite alternative that can be used as an additive with existing anode materials. The company says the material can be produced domestically from renewable feedstocks and does not require mining.

The technology is aimed at a specific problem in lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. These batteries have a relatively flat voltage curve across much of their usable range, making it harder for battery management systems to determine how much charge remains.

New graphite alternative

COnovate says eCOphite can introduce a durable voltage reference point into the battery. That additional signal could allow existing battery management systems to estimate state of charge more accurately as a battery operates.

More accurate state-of-charge information can help battery operators monitor systems and manage battery packs over longer operating periods. The company says this could improve system visibility while reducing downtime, warranty exposure, and costs associated with maintenance and battery augmentation.

The $1.25 million award is focused on scaling and qualification rather than simply developing the material in the laboratory. COnovate says the work will help qualify eCOphite at commercial scale and demonstrate its compatibility with existing battery manufacturing infrastructure.

“This award is an important step toward qualifying eCOphite material at commercial scale and strengthening a domestic supply battery materials supply chain,” said Craig Rigby, President and CEO of COnovate.

The company says its approach is intended to make adoption easier because manufacturers would not necessarily need to redesign their existing production infrastructure to use the material.

Battery controls get sharper

The technology is based on graphene monoxide, which COnovate describes as the basis of its eCOphite anode material. The company says it holds patents covering the development and commercialization of products for the lithium-ion battery industry.

The domestic production angle is also central to the DOE-backed project. Graphite is a key battery material, and securing alternative sources and production methods is part of efforts to strengthen US battery supply chains.

Under the contract, COnovate will continue scaling US production while working toward commercial qualification of the material. The project is supported by the DOE’s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation under Award Number DE-EE0011730.

For LFP batteries, the company is targeting an issue that is less visible than energy density or charging speed but important for operating battery systems: accurately knowing the remaining charge. By adding a measurable voltage reference, eCOphite is designed to give battery management systems another signal to work with.

Chinese researchers have outlined a future tank that could generate its own power and strike targets hundreds of miles away. The concept combines a compact nuclear reactor with a 50-megajoule electromagnetic railgun.

The proposed vehicle would weigh about 60 tonnes. A 10-megawatt-class small modular reactor would supply its electrical power.

Researchers estimate the railgun could accelerate projectiles to roughly 3.5km/s. That could give the weapon a theoretical range of about 280 miles.

Three steps to nuclear power

The development path starts with conventional propulsion. An initial tank would use a 1,500-horsepower diesel generator.

Its 10MJ electromagnetic gun could reach roughly 93 miles. Supercapacitors and flywheels would provide additional energy for high-demand systems.

The first design would also feature 2MJ electromagnetic armor. A second-generation vehicle would increase weapon energy to 20MJ.

Its projected range would rise to roughly 186 miles. That version would carry 10MJ electromagnetic armor and about five tonnes of advanced energy storage.

Researchers also envision solid-state batteries and superconducting storage. An onboard microgrid would coordinate the vehicle’s electrical systems.

The final stage would introduce nuclear propulsion after 2045. That would replace the diesel generator with a compact reactor.

Fitting the tiny reactor

The proposed reactor would use lead-bismuth cooling and produce 10MW of thermal power. Researchers want the reactor package to fit inside just two cubic meters.

Its radiation shielding would weigh no more than three tonnes. The reactor would also need a fuel replacement interval of at least five years.

Those targets create a difficult packaging problem. Engineers must fit the reactor, shielding and power-conversion equipment inside a combat vehicle.

Thermal management presents another hurdle. The reactor would produce substantial heat that engineers must remove from the vehicle.

The system would also need to survive punishing off-road conditions. The researchers say it should withstand shocks approaching 30g.

The railgun creates an even tougher electrical challenge. A 50MJ weapon must release enormous energy within an extremely short pulse.

The reactor could provide steady power, but it cannot instantly deliver the entire firing pulse. Energy storage would need to accumulate power between shots.

That makes the vehicle’s capacitors, batteries, and power electronics critical. Researchers say additional multiphysics simulations and vehicle-level testing remain necessary.

Feeding 50MJ railgun

A nuclear reactor could provide continuous electricity for energy-intensive weapons and sensors. Yet it would also consume space and weight needed for armor, ammunition and crew protection.

A military equipment expert told South China Morning Post that installing a fission reactor in a battle tank remains unrealistic. The expert also pointed to shielding and heat-dissipation requirements.

The expert questioned the practical value of effectively unlimited onboard electricity. Crews still need rest, while tanks still require ammunition and maintenance.

Survivability creates another concern. A destroyed crewed vehicle carrying a reactor could introduce risks beyond losing the platform.

The expert suggested an uncrewed alternative. Such a vehicle could use abundant electricity for lasers, microwave weapons, radar, and electronic warfare.

That approach could transform the concept from a conventional tank into an autonomous, high-power battlefield platform.

The nuclear tank remains a long-term research concept. Its central challenge may be delivering enormous electrical pulses inside a mobile combat vehicle.

The study is published in the peer-reviewed Chinese journal Acta Armamentarii.

“Can you shed tears for me?” a visitor asked. “Of course,” the robot replied, and its eyes welled up on command. That brief exchange became one of the standout moments at the 2026 Inclusion Conference on the Bund in Shanghai. A bionic emotion-sensing robot demonstrated its ability to physically cry in response to a simple spoken request, catching visitors off guard with just how natural the reaction looked.

The robot is built on a three-layer technical architecture designed specifically to generate convincing human emotional responses rather than simple pre-programmed animations. Its ability to produce tears on cue points to a deeper engineering goal: making robotic emotional expression feel spontaneous and responsive, rather than scripted.

Two facial technologies

Traditional systems used to animate robotic faces rely on servo motors. Those motors physically pull silicone facial skin into different shapes to generate expressions like smiles, frowns, or surprise. That approach has powered most emotionally expressive robots shown publicly in China over the past two years, letting them blink, glance around, and shift expression in real time.

The next generation of the technology moves beyond that mechanical pulling system entirely. Developers plan to add bionic muscles beneath the robot’s synthetic skin. That shift is meant to let the robot generate a meaningfully wider range of facial expressions than servo-driven skin alone can produce. Rather than a limited set of pre-built expression shapes, muscle-based actuation could let the face shift more continuously and naturally between emotional states.

Producing actual tears, as the robot did during its conference demonstration, adds a physiological layer on top of that facial architecture. Rather than relying on expression alone, generating a genuine fluid response mimics one of the most recognizably human signals of emotion. That signal is difficult to convincingly fake through mechanical movement alone.

A bigger tech showcase

The robot appeared as part of a wider technology exhibition running alongside the conference. That exhibition spanned nearly 15,000 square meters and drew more than 300 science and technology exhibitors. The 2026 Inclusion Conference on the Bund ran under the theme “Building the AI Economy Together.” It featured a main forum alongside more than 40 sub-forums exploring different facets of China’s expanding AI industry.

Emotionally expressive robots have become an increasingly prominent showcase at major Chinese technology events over the past year. That trend reflects a broader industry push to make human-robot interaction feel more natural and less mechanical.

Whether audiences respond to a crying robot with genuine emotional engagement or simple curiosity, demonstrations like this one carry a clear signal. Chinese robotics developers are now investing seriously in the physical, physiological details of emotional expression, not just the underlying artificial intelligence driving it.

A new 50-ton electric excavator from Volvo Construction Equipment is designed to never need a battery recharge. It uses a 35-meter cable reel to draw power directly from the grid instead. The EC500 Electric is now undergoing pre-production testing in Norway, running real work at active job sites months before its official production launch.

Volvo built the EC500 Electric to match the performance of its diesel-powered counterpart, a machine the company’s customers already know well. Saying the two perform identically is one thing, though. Proving it in the field is another matter entirely. The new model is significantly larger than Volvo’s existing 30-ton EC230 Electric, and the excavator remains so early in development that it isn’t yet in full production.

Grid power, no downtime

The excavator carries an onboard high-voltage battery rated for two to three hours of continuous use on its own. Its 35-meter cable reel lets the 50-ton machine plug directly into grid power instead. That connection enables operation around the clock across shift after shift without ever needing to stop and recharge.

That grid dependency comes with its own tradeoff, since reliable power access can’t always be taken for granted on every job site. Mike Switzer, a heavy equipment fleet buyer and co-host of The Heavy Equipment Podcast, said that reality applies broadly across the industry. Working for a company, he said, doesn’t automatically guarantee power is available wherever that work happens.

Handling uneven power

Volvo’s battery-electric system runs on a 400-volt base designed specifically to adapt to varying grid conditions on different job sites. That flexibility is meant to help customers manage the practical realities of fluctuating site power while reducing the demands the excavator places on existing job site infrastructure.

The first EC500 Electric unit in customer hands is currently working across quarrying, road building, and tunneling applications in Norway. Volvo said the ongoing test program is designed to funnel real-world feedback on the machine’s behavior, performance, and operator experience directly into its final development stages.

Volvo described the approach as ensuring the machine gets developed around more than technical specifications alone. It also incorporates the daily requirements of customers working in some of the most demanding applications the equipment will actually face. Early data gathered from the pilot program is already shaping refinements ahead of the EC500 Electric’s planned production launch in spring 2027.

Honda Motor has invested in Niron Magnetics, a US company commercializing rare-earth-free Iron Nitride permanent magnets.

Announced on September 9, the investment will support the continued commercialization of Niron’s technology and help scale its manufacturing operations.

The move reflects Honda’s interest in next-generation magnetic materials that could reduce reliance on rare-earth elements in electrified systems.

Reducing reliance on rare-earth materials

Permanent magnets are used in electric propulsion motors and several other technologies. However, many conventional high-performance magnets depend on rare-earth metals that face resource constraints and changing market conditions.

Niron’s Iron Nitride technology offers an alternative that does not require rare-earth materials. It is intended to support performance, cost stability, and sustainability goals while reducing reliance on constrained global supply chains.

“This investment reflects the increasing focus on rare-earth-free magnet technology as manufacturers look for more resilient solutions,” said Jonathan Rowntree, CEO of Niron Magnetics.

“Following investment from Honda, we are encouraged by their confidence in our technology and vision for scaling rare-earth-free permanent magnets across a broad range of applications. The investment adds to growing industry momentum as manufacturers increasingly direct resources to alternatives to rare-earth-based magnets,” he added.

The technology can be used across automotive systems, robotics, industrial automation and emerging mobility platforms. Other potential applications include artificial intelligence and data center infrastructure, as well as consumer electronics.

Honda sees potential for electric propulsion

Most electric propulsion motors currently use permanent magnets made from rare-earth metals. Honda expects Niron’s technology to help address some of the supply and market challenges associated with these materials.

“Niron Magnetics has an innovative permanent magnet technology that does not require rare earth materials. Most electric propulsion motors today use permanent magnets made from rare earth metals, which are subject to resource constraints and fluctuations in market conditions,” said Mahito Shikama, Director, Executive Officer of Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

“Niron Magnetics is addressing these challenges, and Honda has high hopes for its potential,” he added.

The investment further supports Niron’s effort to establish Iron Nitride as a new category of permanent magnetic material. It will also help the company expand the technology’s adoption across a growing range of products and applications.

Honda’s backing adds to the resources being directed toward alternatives to rare-earth-based permanent magnets. For Niron, it supports the transition from commercializing its technology to producing the magnets at a larger scale.

US facility to scale magnet production

Niron recently announced a new 287,000-square-foot facility in Sartell, Minnesota, for magnet manufacturing. The plant is scheduled to begin operating in 2027.

Once operational, the facility is expected to produce up to 1,500 tons of rare-earth-free Iron Nitride permanent magnets annually. This output will serve the company’s targeted automotive, industrial and advanced technology applications.

The facility forms a central part of Niron’s manufacturing expansion. Honda’s investment will support the company as it works to scale production and broaden the use of Iron Nitride magnets across electrified systems.

A Moriarty-based company’s stratospheric platform has re-entered the United States. High Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS) for stratospheric infrastructure completed its record-breaking trans-Pacific flight from New Mexico to Japan and back.

Callled Service Test 1 (ST1) mission, the stratospheric platform was developed by Sceye. ST1 launched on August 9, 2026, and arrived in Japan 13 days later. While operating in Japan, Sceye demonstrated mobile broadband connectivity to unmodified devices through SoftBank Corp.’s core network and HAPS-based edge computing and communication with drones to support the development of a 3D communications network.

Mission validated technology, vehicle systems, payload

“Groundbreaking and historic only begin to describe our ST1 flight,” says Mikkel Vestergaard Frandsen, Founder and CEO of Sceye.

“This mission proved not only that our technology, vehicle systems, payload, and operational infrastructure are ready for connectivity services, but also that the stratosphere is where the future non-terrestrial infrastructure lies. The stratosphere is what will enable the always-on future – including the promised land of 6G. Together ground, stratosphere, and space – each operating at their optimal strengths, will change the course of humanity.”

During its journey, Sceye’s ST1 traveled nearly 30,000 km and re-entered continental U.S. on September 4, 2026. ST1 reached airspace near Sceye’s headquarters in Moriarty, New Mexico on September 5, 2026, where Sceye completed additional vehicle testing and a planned termination and descent.

Conducted in partnership with SoftBank Corp, a leading operator of telecommunications and IT businesses in Japan and globally, ST1 marks Sceye’s first flight to Asia and a groundbreaking milestone toward the commercial deployment of HAPS as stratospheric infrastructure. ST1 carried SceyeCELL, a first-of-its-kind “cell tower in the sky” designed to deliver wide-area mobile broadband directly to standard devices from the stratosphere. When deployed at full scale, one Sceye HAPS is designed to cover the equivalent area of approximately 500 terrestrial towers, according to a press release.

Stratosphere offers the optimal vantage point

The stratosphere offers the optimal vantage point: It is close enough to Earth for high-capacity connectivity and observation, yet the altitude is high enough for wide-area reach. Importantly, the stratosphere offers space-like conditions without the cost of being in space and the disadvantages of being in orbit. Sceye’s HAPS maintain altitude and their area of operation in the stratosphere through consecutive day and night cycles, operating like geostationary satellites, only 1,800 times closer to Earth and at a fraction of the cost, as per the release.

The platform traveled nearly 30,000 km from New Mexico to Japan and back to New Mexico over a month-long journey. The platform also tested emergency calls, using an emergency alert messaging system designed for large-scale disasters, as well as communications with drones.

Through a server installed on the HAPS, Sceye and SoftBank conducted data processing directly on the platform, demonstrating an average round-trip processing response time of 68 milliseconds, reducing communications latency by over 40% compared with internet-based cloud processing. This marks the world’s first successful test in which a mobile core network and a web server for processing were installed on a HAPS, enabling response processing to be performed entirely onboard the HAPS and the results to be relayed back to smartphones.

RTX Ventures has invested in laser fusion company Xcimer Energy to develop pulsed-laser technology for potential use in US military directed-energy systems.

The collaboration brings together two applications that share a fundamental engineering challenge: building powerful lasers that can fire repeatedly, reliably and affordably.

Xcimer is developing excimer laser technology for its fusion power system. The company says the same approach could provide the performance and scalability needed for directed-energy weapons, potentially offering longer-range capability than existing systems.

RTX’s investment is also intended to support Xcimer’s fusion program. In June, the US Department of Energy approved Xcimer’s fusion pilot power plant design under its Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program.

One laser, two missions

Laser fusion works by using intense laser pulses to compress and heat fuel until it reaches conditions where nuclear fusion can occur. The challenge is developing lasers that can deliver these pulses repeatedly while keeping energy consumption, maintenance, and operating costs under control.

Those same requirements matter for military laser systems. A directed-energy weapon must deliver enough energy to engage a target while remaining efficient and reliable enough for repeated use. Xcimer says its excimer-based system is designed around those requirements.

“As the United States accelerates the development of next-generation air defense, the need for affordable and scalable directed energy systems has never been more urgent,” said Conner Galloway, co-founder, CEO and Chief Science Officer at Xcimer. “Our excimer-based laser technology offers the performance, speed and inherent scalability needed at a fraction of the cost and complexity of today’s systems.”

The partnership will now examine how the laser technology could be integrated and containerized into RTX defense systems.

That could be important because one of the challenges facing directed-energy weapons is making them practical outside laboratory environments. Systems must fit into deployable platforms while generating enough power to engage threats.

Fusion technology enters air defense

RTX brings experience in sensing, command and control, and air-defense systems to the partnership. The company says those capabilities could help integrate Xcimer’s laser technology into future defense platforms.

“We believe Xcimer’s pulsed-laser technology lines up perfectly with our expertise in areas like advanced sensing, command and control and air defense,” said RTX Chief Technology Officer Juan de Bedout. “Together we will explore how we can best integrate these technologies into advanced, scalable defense systems able to defeat a range of new and evolving threats.”

Xcimer is pursuing commercial fusion power alongside the defense work. The company expects its fusion technology to begin delivering electricity to the grid by the mid-2030s.

The dual-use development could give the laser technology two potential markets: commercial fusion energy and military directed-energy systems.

For now, the RTX-Xcimer agreement is focused on exploring integration and development rather than announcing an operational weapon. The companies will need to demonstrate that the laser can meet the demanding requirements of a deployable defense system while maintaining the efficiency, reliability, and scalability needed for repeated operation.

A geothermal drilling rig just finished working on one of the least forgiving places for heavy equipment, a live construction site in downtown Boston.

Dig Energy completed its first paid commercial installation at 100MAG, Suffolk’s AI and innovation hub near the construction firm’s headquarters. The Massachusetts startup used its compact drilling platform to install geothermal heating and cooling infrastructure for the building.

The drilling operation started in early August and finished in about two weeks. Workers carried out the work while construction continued around them, giving Dig a real test of its approach in a crowded commercial setting.

Geothermal drilling gets smaller

Geothermal heating and cooling has relied on mature technology for decades. The difficult part has often been getting the drilling done without driving up project costs.

Traditional drilling equipment can demand substantial space and labor. That creates a particular problem on urban construction sites, where available space can be scarce.

Dig built its drilling system around those constraints. The company says its rig needs only a fraction of the footprint and crew used by conventional drilling equipment.

At 100MAG, the active drilling area occupied only a few parking spaces at any given time. That allowed the geothermal work to fit into an operating construction site without taking over a large section of the property.

“Suffolk has led some of the most complex and sophisticated construction projects in the country,” said Dulcie Madden, co-founder and CEO of Dig Energy.

Madden said the 100MAG site tested the technology under tight spatial constraints and a demanding schedule. She added that Dig’s equipment could integrate into Suffolk’s construction workflow.

That matters because geothermal projects can require drilling before a building can use the system. A smaller drilling platform could make that step easier to accommodate alongside other construction activity.

Suffolk puts system to work

The installation also gives Suffolk a chance to judge geothermal technology through an actual project rather than a demonstration. Suffolk Technologies, the construction firm’s venture arm, invested in Dig through its BOOST 6 accelerator. The program brings emerging construction technologies onto Suffolk projects for real-world deployment.

Parker Mundt, a partner at Suffolk Technologies, said the project showed how Dig’s compact platform could reduce the cost and complexity of geothermal installations. Suffolk now has direct experience with the drilling process at a commercial property. That experience could help the contractor assess geothermal systems for future projects across its portfolio.

The opportunity extends beyond conventional office construction. Suffolk works with customers investing in geothermal and on-site energy infrastructure, including education facilities and data centers.

Dig plans to put its drilling system through several more New England projects in the coming months. The planned sites include a grocery store, a utility headquarters and a small campus.

Those deployments will put the compact rig against different site conditions and building requirements. They could also show whether the space and labor savings seen at 100MAG hold up across a wider range of commercial projects.

Louisiana could add 5 GW of new power through a three-project plan combining natural gas, battery storage and advanced nuclear reactors.

The portfolio is designed to serve growing electricity demand from data centers, advanced manufacturing and other industrial users. Rather than relying on one generation source, the plan spreads the capacity across three projects with different roles and development timelines.

Project Cayman would provide the largest share, with 2.88 GW of natural-gas generation and battery storage. The project could also include a data-center technology campus, giving large customers access to dispatchable power close to their operations.

Project Barracuda would add another 1.2 GW of natural-gas generation, along with 300 MW/1.2 GWh of battery storage. The planned energy park could support up to 1 GW of critical data-center IT capacity, creating a dedicated power and computing hub.

Project Amberjack takes a different route. It is being developed as a standalone small modular reactor campus targeting up to 1 GW of advanced nuclear generation.

Three technologies, three roles

The projects are intended to address different parts of the power challenge. Gas generation would provide dispatchable electricity, batteries would help manage demand and storage, and nuclear power would provide a longer-term source of steady generation.

Cayman has already secured site control through a binding letter of intent. Its development would proceed in phases based on customer demand, fuel availability, utility requirements, environmental reviews, permitting, and financing.

Barracuda is also being planned in stages. Its generation, storage, and data-center components could be expanded as customer demand develops.

Amberjack is at an earlier stage. The project has site control, but the company still needs to conduct technical and environmental studies before determining the reactor technology and final plant configuration.

“The Louisiana trilogy offers three distinct, complementary solutions to answer America’s soaring power demand,” said Richard Taylor, CEO of ONE Nuclear. “Cayman delivers scale, Barracuda connects dedicated power with digital infrastructure, and Amberjack creates a disciplined path toward advanced nuclear power.”

The combined planning targets amount to approximately 4.08 GW of natural-gas generation from Cayman and Barracuda, plus up to 1 GW of nuclear capacity from Amberjack.

Those numbers are not yet guaranteed generation capacity. The projects still depend on final engineering, grid interconnection, permits, customer agreements, financing, and other development decisions.

Nuclear remains the longer bet

Amberjack is the most technically ambitious part of the portfolio. The proposed campus would use multiple small modular reactors, but the company has not yet selected a specific reactor technology.

Planned work includes geotechnical and environmental studies, cooling-water and logistics assessments, transmission analysis and discussions with potential technology vendors. The company also plans continued engagement with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and local communities.

“The Louisiana Portfolio is ambitious because Louisiana’s opportunity is extraordinary,” said Chris Hansmeyer, Chief Development Officer of ONE Nuclear. “These projects are complementary, but they are not dependent on one another. We can advance proven dispatchable generation and storage for near-term demand, purpose-built infrastructure for digital and industrial customers, and a rigorous, site-specific pathway for advanced nuclear power.”

The approach reflects a broader push to build power infrastructure around rapidly expanding data-center demand while keeping nuclear power in the mix as a longer-term option.

ONE Nuclear plans to hold a public information meeting in October 2026 to explain the projects, discuss environmental and infrastructure work, and gather community feedback. The three projects remain at different stages of development, and no commercial power generation has begun.

R3 Lithium has started producing lithium carbonate from recycled battery materials at its facility in Covington, Georgia.

The 154,000-square-foot plant is designed to recover lithium at commercial scale. R3 also raised $15 million in Series A funding to upgrade the operation.

The company expects the Georgia facility to produce more than half of US lithium carbonate output in 2027. Its existing production line can make 2,500 metric tons of lithium carbonate annually.

Georgia plant targets scale

The facility can shred as much as 30,000 metric tons of battery material each year. That feedstock includes manufacturing scrap and batteries reaching the end of their useful lives.

Shredding produces black mass, which contains the valuable materials left inside lithium-ion batteries. R3 processes that material at the same site to recover lithium and produce lithium carbonate.

The process combines calciner-based crystallization with water-based precipitation. Keeping those steps together eliminates the need to ship lithium-bearing material elsewhere for refining.

The facility previously produced 99%-pure lithium carbonate using entirely recycled material. R3 acquired the site in July after its previous owner invested about $150 million into the operation.

A second 2,500-metric-ton production line could eventually double the site’s lithium carbonate capacity. R3 has also secured roughly $1 billion in offtake agreements with customers.

Trafigura is among the buyers supporting those agreements. Tim Wood-Dow, a battery metals trader at Trafigura, said domestic lithium supplies remain limited.

Recycling cuts supply chain

The approach could give US battery manufacturers another source of domestically processed lithium. Much of the world’s battery production and processing capacity remains overseas.

Developing new lithium mines also takes considerable time. Projects can spend seven to 10 years navigating permitting before production begins.

Recycling existing batteries offers a different route to supply. R3 can source lithium from material already circulating through the battery economy.

Demand for lithium carbonate is also expanding as battery storage grows. Global battery storage installations surpassed 300 gigawatt-hours during 2025.

Data center construction has added another source of demand for large energy storage systems. Each gigawatt-hour of grid-scale storage requires about 880 tons of lithium carbonate.

R3 plans to build additional facilities across North America and Europe. Each site would use modular production units capable of processing 5,000 metric tons annually.

The company plans to secure customer offtake agreements before deploying those units. That strategy would let R3 expand capacity in stages as demand develops.

One site handles recovery

The Covington facility also recovers materials beyond lithium. Its process produces concentrated metal oxide containing nickel, cobalt, manganese, and graphite.

R3 can sell those materials separately after extracting the lithium. That creates additional value from the same recycled battery feedstock.

Keeping the process on one site also reduces the number of locations involved in moving battery materials through the recycling chain. Scrap and spent batteries can enter the facility and emerge as refined lithium carbonate.

R3 now wants to replicate that model across additional sites. If its expansion targets hold, recycled batteries could become a larger source of domestically produced lithium carbonate in the US.

A satellite has fired a Hall-effect thruster fueled by solid zinc in orbit for the first time, giving spacecraft designers a new option for electric propulsion.

Muon Space completed the test on July 1 aboard SERT-III, a dedicated propulsion test spacecraft. The mission tested the company’s Starlight propulsion system under real orbital conditions.

The thruster fired successfully on its first attempt. Telemetry matched ground-test predictions, while orbital tracking detected a measurable change in the spacecraft’s trajectory.

Zinc aims at xenon

Hall-effect thrusters have become a standard choice for efficient satellite propulsion. Most systems use xenon or krypton, which require high-pressure storage and add complexity to spacecraft designs.

Starlight takes a different approach. Its propellant comes as solid zinc, which remains stable at room temperature and does not need a pressurized tank.

That could simplify spacecraft integration and ground operations. Zinc also costs less than traditional noble-gas propellants and has a much broader supply base.

Those factors matter as satellite operators deploy larger constellations. Cutting propulsion hardware and propellant costs can become significant when the same system flies across dozens of spacecraft.

Muon says Starlight can support orbit raising, station keeping, and controlled deorbiting on small and medium-sized satellites.

The system also addresses a practical challenge that has followed electric propulsion for years. Satellite operators need efficient thrusters, but propulsion hardware must also fit tight spacecraft mass and integration constraints.

SERT-III tests hardware

Muon designed SERT-III specifically to examine how the propulsion system behaves in space. The spacecraft carried sensors to measure performance, spacecraft interactions, and material deposited by the thruster plume.

Ground testing had already established expected performance across different throttle levels and operating conditions. The orbital test provided a chance to see whether those results held up in microgravity.

They did. The thruster fed and vaporized zinc reliably during the firing, according to Muon. Tracking data also confirmed that the spacecraft experienced the expected thrust.

Engineers also watched for unwanted zinc deposition around the spacecraft. Thermoelectric Quartz Crystal Microbalance sensors detected less deposition near the thruster than conservative preflight models predicted.

That result gives engineers more data for understanding how zinc behaves after leaving the thruster. It should also help refine plume and contamination models for future spacecraft.

Muon CEO Jonny Dyer called the orbital firing a major milestone for electric propulsion. He said the company chose to acquire Starlight Propulsion because zinc could address persistent problems in the propulsion supply chain.

The test also avoided putting experimental hardware on a primary customer mission. SERT-III gave engineers a spacecraft dedicated to collecting propulsion data without placing another mission at risk.

Customer missions next

Muon now plans to incorporate the flight data into further development of Starlight. Engineers will focus on reliability, manufacturing, and plume management as the system moves toward production.

The company expects its current-generation thruster to reach customer spacecraft before the end of 2026. Muon is also developing a larger second-generation system. It plans to test Gen2 in orbit during the first quarter of 2027.

That version will target larger spacecraft and could expand zinc-based Hall propulsion beyond the smaller satellite market. If the upcoming tests confirm the early results, solid-metal propellant could become a practical alternative for more commercial spacecraft.

Deep Fission has successfully lowered a 20-foot reactor canister 100 feet underground and retrieved it using commercial drilling equipment, testing a key part of its plan to bury small nuclear reactors a mile below the surface.

The demonstration took place on September 3, when a commercial drilling and rigging crew lowered the full-size canister into a 34-inch-wide borehole. The crew aligned the canister at depth before bringing it back to the surface.

The test focused on whether the large reactor canister can be handled underground using equipment already available to drilling contractors. Deep Fission said the demonstration did not require equipment invented, custom-built, or adapted for nuclear service.

The canister was a full-size, non-nuclear replica of the vessel designed to house the company’s Gravity reactor core. It contained no nuclear fuel, so the test was aimed at validating the physical deployment and retrieval process rather than reactor operation.

Commercial drilling goes nuclear

“The most important thing about this demonstration is what we did not have to do,” said Liz Muller, CEO and Co-Founder of Deep Fission. “We did not have to develop new technology. We used a rig and rigging that is commercially available in the field today, and our reactor uses pressurized water technology that has been operating in the nuclear industry for decades.”

Deep Fission’s reactor concept combines established pressurized water reactor technology with an underground deployment system. The Gravity reactor would use standard low-enriched uranium fuel, while the company’s main change is to place the reactor deep underground.

The proposed reactor would sit in a water-filled borehole approximately one mile below the surface. Deep Fission says the water column and surrounding rock could provide containment, operating pressure, heat transfer, and emergency cooling.

That configuration could reduce the surface infrastructure normally associated with nuclear plants. Instead of constructing a large reactor facility above ground, the company’s model would shift much of the system underground.

The company believes this could simplify construction, reduce costs, and shorten deployment schedules while providing additional safety margins.

Mile-deep reactors face hurdles

The latest test does not demonstrate that a commercial reactor can operate underground. Deep Fission still has to validate the broader system, including drilling, reactor integration, regulatory requirements, and eventual commercial operation.

The company recently received approval from the US Department of Energy for its Nuclear Safety Design Agreement for the Gravity reactor. It is advancing the project under the DOE Reactor Pilot Program and is developing its first reactor project in Parsons, Kansas.

The underground approach is also intended to support deployment closer to customers that need reliable electricity. Deep Fission is targeting utilities, industrial customers, and data centers seeking low-carbon baseload power.

“Our innovation is in how we put proven pieces together, not in inventing something that has never been built. That is the difference between a science project and something you can deploy,” Muller said.

The company now needs to move from a mechanical demonstration to the much harder task of proving that its underground reactor design can meet engineering, safety, licensing, and commercial requirements.