City Labs launches the first commercial nuclear satellite

City Labs has launched BOHR, the first commercial nuclear-powered satellite, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare on July 7. About the size of a softball, BOHR uses a betavoltaic battery powered by tritium decay — not a reactor — to generate nanowatts to microwatts of electricity for decades without sunlight. The satellite bus still relies on solar panels; the nuclear battery powers only the payload as a proof-of-concept. BOHR is the first commercial mission to use the FAA's nuclear launch approval pathway, cleared in September 2025 after Sandia National Laboratories reviewed the safety case. The technology targets use cases where solar fails, such as long lunar nights, permanently shadowed craters, and deep-space sensors. Funding comes from the US Department of War, NASA, Air Force research arms, and a $1.5m DARPA contract for next-generation development.

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China nets a falling rocket in reusability race with SpaceX

China successfully retrieved an orbital-class rocket booster for the first time using a net-based recovery system on an offshore sea platform. The Long March 10B rocket, developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, lifted off from Hainan, deployed a satellite, and had its booster caught by a net rather than landing on legs like SpaceX's Falcon 9. The net approach is said to reduce vehicle mass, increase payload capacity, and offer greater tolerance for landing deviations. China plans to reuse the recovered booster before year-end, and the technology feeds into the broader Long March 10 family supporting crewed lunar missions before 2030. Private Chinese aerospace firms also saw stock gains on the news.

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