Latvian startup Deep Space Energy has closed a pre-seed round of €350,000, led by Outlast Fund and angel investor Linas Sargautis, with an additional €580,000 from ESA, NATO DIANA, and the Latvian government. The funds will advance its radioisotope-based power generator toward commercialization, targeting both defense satellite resilience and lunar exploration.
Key takeaways
- Technology converts heat from radioisotope decay into electricity, requiring 5x less fuel than legacy RTGs.
- Primary near-term use: backup power for high-value satellites in MEO, GEO, and HEO orbits, enhancing resilience against non-kinetic attacks and malfunctions.
- For lunar rovers, ~2 kg of Americium-241 generates 50W, vs ~10 kg for conventional RTGs—enabling longer missions and earlier start.
- Efficiency could advance lunar missions by over five years and increase mission volume up to fivefold, supporting NASA/ESA programs like Artemis and Argonaut.
The company emphasizes its generator is non-weaponized and dual-use. CEO Mihails Ščepanskis notes the Ukraine war highlighted Europe's dependence on US satellite intelligence, driving the need for sovereign capabilities. Long-term, the technology aims to power lunar rovers through 354-hour nights and operations in permanently shadowed regions, cutting mission costs significantly given payload launch costs up to €1M per kg.
Source: Robotics & Automation News (roboticsandautomationnews.com) · Published 2026-02-21 · “Deep Space Energy raises almost €1 million to generate electricity on the moon like it was normal”