From Cold-War roots to a cislunar economy
Radioisotope electricity once lit Apollo experiments and carried Voyager to the edge of the Solar System. Deep Space Energy is reviving that legacy with safer fuels, smarter converters and a service model fit for commercial spaceflight.
Mission
Deliver clean, uninterrupted power wherever the Sun can’t reach. We turn the constant heat of long-lived isotopes into reliable watts for spacecraft, lunar factories and critical assets on—and above—Earth.
Vision
A thriving off-world economy needs utilities, not batteries. By 2040 we aim to supply gigawatt-hours of nuclear electricity to missions from Low-Earth Orbit to the Kuiper Belt, enabling permanent science outposts, resource extraction and resilient communications networks.
The story so far
Cheap heat, costly space, a problem born after the Cold War
During the Cold War, radioisotope fuel was abundant, an inexpensive by-product of weapons programs. When those reactors shut down, the price of Pu-238 soared and deep-space power stalled. Today, exploration is surging back, but isotope production lags.
Breaking the bottleneck
Deep Space Energy spun out of the Institute of Physics (University of Latvia) in 2022 to attack both sides of the equation:
- Cheaper fuel — new Sr-90 heat sources refined from reactor waste.
- Better converters — our proprietary Radioisotope Thermo-Acoustic Linear Induction Generator (RTALIG), which delivers 25 % efficiency, five times the legacy RTG rate.
Two hubs, one team
- Deep Space Energy, SIA — Riga, Latvia
- Deep Space Energy Ltd. — Coventry, United Kingdom
Together we blend Baltic hardware talent with UK research depth, tapping a European supply chain for fuel, machining and test facilities.
Deep Space Energy is a Latvian company founded in 2022 as a spin-off from the Institute of Physics at the University of Latvia. Building on decades of expertise in developing electromagnetic devices for space and scientific missions, the company continues to innovate in the field.
The ultimate goal of Deep Space Energy is to become a commercial supplier of radioisotope electricity for the needs of science surface missions on the Moon and Mars, deep space science missions, and the commercial Lunar market.
Leadership
The company was founded by Dr. Mihails Ščepanskis, a scientist turned deep-tech entrepreneur. He previously built and raised an international deep-tech software company, CENOS.
Now, he channels his expertise and energy into the space industry as the CEO of Deep Space Energy.
The founding leadership team also includes Prof. Jānis Priede, a world-leading expert in electromagnetic systems, professor at Coventry University (UK) and the Chief Scientist at Deep Space Energy, and Raimonds Nikoluškins, the Chief Engineer with 10 years of experience in space engineering.
What makes us different
- Fuel flexibility
Multi-isotope sourcing (Am-241, Pu-238, Sr-90) cuts cost and export hurdles. - One-piston reliability
RTALIG’s single moving piston halves wear points versus free-piston Stirling systems. - Power-as-a-Service
We sell Wh, not hardware; once your mission ends, we redeploy the generator. - ESA-backed R&D
Multiple ESA contracts fund converter validation and the development of new Sr-90 fuels.
Partner with us
Whether you’re sizing a lunar mission or fortifying orbital assets, get a custom power quote within five business days.
Deep Space Energy — two hubs, one goal
Deep Space Energy is building on decades of expertise in developing electromagnetic devices, now dedicating them to space and scientific missions. We are on a mission to become a commercial supplier of radioisotope electricity for the needs of science deep space missions, surface missions on the Moon and Mars, the emerging commercial Lunar market, and to support the power resilience of strategic space assets, and power off-grid applications on the Earth.
Together, we combine Baltic and UK talents, leveraging a European supply chain for radioisotope fuel, machining, and power subsystems.
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