NASA tests solid-state batteries at temperatures down to minus 170°C — OilPrice

NASA tested prototypes of solid-state batteries during vacuum thermal testing that withstood temperatures down to minus 170°C without damage. The development is being created as part of the SPEARS project to operate equipment in harsh conditions on the Moon, OilPrice reports.

Operation in extreme cold

According to the outlet, the batteries remained operational, albeit with reduced efficiency, at temperatures down to minus 80°C. The prototypes demonstrated their best performance in the range from minus 60°C to plus 80°C.

The Solid Power for Extreme Environment Adaptability and Resilience in Space, or SPEARS, project is aimed at creating power sources for lunar rovers, scientific instruments and astronauts' emergency equipment under the Artemis program. At the Moon's South Pole, temperatures can fall to minus 200°C, so batteries need the ability to operate without constant heating.

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Why a solid electrolyte is used

In conventional lithium-ion batteries, lithium ions move between electrodes through a liquid electrolyte. Solid-state systems do not have such an electrolyte, reducing the risk of it freezing at low temperatures. The article also notes that liquid electrolytes in traditional lithium-ion cells are flammable.

The prototypes currently remain small laboratory samples and have not yet been tested in space. At the same time, the SPEARS results could potentially be useful for ground-based technologies, including electric vehicles, drones, mobile phones and energy storage systems. For electric cars, such solutions could theoretically improve driving range in cold climates.