DYNA JOURNAL ENGINEERING

Perpetual Atomics, a spin-off from the University of Leicester based at Space Park Leicester, and QSA Global, a long-standing supplier of sealed radioactive sources, report that they have tackled one of the key bottlenecks in space nuclear power: converting americium dioxide into large, stable ceramic pellets suitable for industrial-scale production. Using a process not previously applied to this element, the team has produced the largest reported americium ceramic pellet of its kind, specifically designed for direct integration into sealed sources for radioisotope power systems.?

The breakthrough comes at a time of tight supply of plutonium-238, the traditional fuel for radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) that have powered flagship deep-space missions. Americium-241, with a half-life of around 430 years, is emerging as an especially attractive alternative for very long-duration missions and can be sourced from civil plutonium stocks and spent nuclear fuel. The critical step was to develop a robust ceramic fuel form and a stable processing route enabling high-density pellets with high volumetric power, something this collaboration claims to have achieved in just one year of joint work.?

The new process is fast, minimises pellet volume and waste, and maximises throughput, making it easier to manufacture larger pellets tailored to the needs of future radioisotope heater units (RHUs) and RTGs. These “space batteries” will be essential for missions to extreme environments such as permanently shadowed craters at the lunar south pole, cold regions on Mars or the outer solar system, where solar energy is insufficient or unusable.?

Space Park Leicester and the UK Space Agency highlight that this result strengthens both UK and transatlantic leadership in space nuclear power and showcases how fundamental science, applied engineering and industrial collaboration can accelerate the journey from concept to manufacturable fuel ready for deployment on future missions.?