Two months ago, Peter Cabauy '96 held the future of space exploration in his hands. Now it's circling the Earth every 96 minutes.
The alumnus is the co-founder and CEO of Miami-based City Labs, which recently sent nuclear micropower technology into space aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, a world first for commercial space flight. The company's revolutionary solid-state NanoTritium battery can deliver continuous, ultra-low power for decades, even in the harshest environments.
Originally designed for military applications, the technology is now being adapted to survive the Moon's frigid temperatures. City Labs is developing compact nuclear heat sources to help rovers, sensors and other equipment operate through the Moon's two-week-long nights, when temperatures can drop low enough to damage electronics. The company is also conducting a NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Phase II study exploring tritium-powered sensors for the lunar surface.
"The lunar night is two Earth weeks, and it's very, very cold," Cabauy said. "If you're trying to have a rover survive, it needs heat sources."
These efforts could help support lunar missions as NASA and commercial partners work to establish a long-term presence on the Moon.
"That's very important if we want to go back to the Moon and stay there," said Cabauy, who earned his bachelor's in physics from FIU and his master's and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.
City Labs has 10 employees, each of whom holds at least one FIU degree. Cabauy, who served as director of FIU's Office of Entrepreneurial Science from 2003 to 2005, credits the university with helping lay the foundation for the company's success.
"You can definitely trace back the knowledge to my undergraduate classes at FIU," he said. "There's a deep connection with FIU, not just for me, but for everyone here.".
Looking ahead, Cabauy hopes City Labs' technology will expand the possibilities for space exploration.
"We want to be the first to put commercial nuclear micropower on the Moon, on Mars," he said.
Cabauy's advice to current FIU students and aspiring entrepreneurs is to just go for it.
"When I started City Labs, I was just hoping to make a couple of sales. I had no idea that we would put something in orbit," Cabauy said.
Now, his technology could power equipment in places where solar energy is limited or unavailable, like the Moon, Mars and even deep space.
