NASA Details Solid-State Battery Work for the Moon's Extreme Temperatures
NASA has described a project called SPEARS that is developing solid ceramic or polymer batteries able to survive extreme cold, with future Artemis missions on the Moon as the eventual target.
The problem is one familiar to anyone whose phone has shut down on a freezing morning or in an overheated car. Most lithium-ion batteries, which power the majority of electronics on Earth, rely on liquid electrolytes that can freeze at low temperatures and damage the cell. The same chemistry also performs poorly at very high temperatures.
The Moon offers little middle ground. Daytime temperatures there can reach 212 degrees Fahrenheit, or 100 degrees Celsius, while nighttime lows at the lunar south pole drop to about minus 328 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 200 Celsius. According to Engadget, current battery technology cannot operate across that range.
The project is called Solid Power for Extreme Environment Adaptability and Resilience in Space, or SPEARS. It replaces the liquid electrolyte with a solid ceramic or polymer material. These solid-state cells still need to be warmed up before they will function, but so far they have not been damaged by extreme cold, and they require less energy-intensive thermal management systems than their lithium-ion counterparts.
Engadget reported that the team is developing the batteries for the severe climates of Mars, and that the same technology could one day power consumer gadgets on Earth as well. The outlet added that NASA's full blog post on the project is worth reading for space and science enthusiasts.