NASA is developing solid-state batteries for the Moon’s South Pole, where extreme cold can stop ordinary batteries working. The aim is safer, lighter power systems for astronauts, rovers and lunar equipment.
01Summary
- 01NASA’s SPEARS project is developing batteries for the Moon’s South Pole, where temperatures can fall to minus 328 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 200 Celsius.
- 02Recent thermal vacuum tests at NASA’s Langley Research Centre found prototype cells worked up to 176 F (80 C) and down to minus 112 F (minus 80 C) with reduced performance.
- 03The cells also survived exposure to temperatures from 212 F (100 C) to minus 274 F (minus 170 C) without sustaining damage.
- 04The project is led at NASA’s Glenn Research Centre in Cleveland and began in 2026 with funding from NASA’s Advanced Research and Technology division.
- 05NASA says the batteries could support tools, rovers, emergency kits and scientific instruments, and may also have uses on Earth in vehicles, phones, drones and communication devices.
02Why it matters
If the technology works, NASA could run lunar missions with less bulky thermal hardware and more reliable power in extreme conditions. That could help make sustained human operations on the Moon more practical.
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