Batteries Built for the Lunar Night
NASA researchers are developing solid-state batteries that could survive the extreme cold of the Moon's South Pole, the agency said Oct. 14.
Written on Oct. 16, 2026 from the source documents listed below, after the dates it covers.
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The story
NASA is working on batteries that can survive the Moon's brutal cold, the agency's Langley Research Center said on Oct. 14. At the lunar South Pole, nighttime temperatures plunge to minus 328 degrees Fahrenheit.
Ordinary lithium-ion batteries rely on liquid electrolytes, which would freeze in that cold, stop working in daytime heat of 212 F, and evaporate in the vacuum of space. The project, called Solid Power for Extreme Environment Adaptability and Resilience in Space, or SPEARS, replaces the liquid with a solid ceramic- or polymer-based electrolyte.
After exposure to temperatures from 212 F to minus 274 F, the batteries were not damaged.
It is led at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. In recent thermal vacuum tests at Langley in Hampton, Virginia, small prototype cells operated well from 176 F down to minus 76 F, and with slightly reduced performance down to minus 112 F.
"We proved for the first time that these cells can work down to minus 80 degrees Celsius," said Yi Lin, the SPEARS testing and research lead at Langley. After exposure to temperatures from 212 F to minus 274 F, the batteries were not damaged.
They will not run at minus 274 F, but because the solid electrolyte does not freeze, they can survive it and be warmed back to operating temperature with small heaters. NASA says that could reduce the need for heavy thermal management systems, allowing lighter designs, lower costs and longer missions.
Possible uses range from drills and rovers to emergency power packs for astronauts.
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Image and footage credits: Lead image: NASA/Ryan Hill · NASA Images and Media Usage Guidelines (NASA content generally not subject to U.S. copyright) · NASA/Ryan Hill · NASA Images and Media Usage Guidelines (NASA content generally not subject to U.S. copyright)
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