DARPA wants to build batteries that last 30 years. Using nuclear waste. To power drones.
Project SYMPHONEE aims to harvest Strontium-90 — a radioactive byproduct of nuclear fission — and turn it into long-lasting power sources for persistent military drones.
Thirty years of endurance means drones that don’t need to land for fuel. Think surveillance platforms that stay airborne for decades. Think loitering munitions with half-lives longer than most military careers.
Strontium-90 is abundant in nuclear waste. It decays into Yttrium-90, releasing beta radiation that can be converted into electricity. The technology isn’t new — radioisotope thermoelectric generators have powered spacecraft for decades. But scaling it down for drones at a practical cost? That’s the challenge.
The military has been pushing for longer endurance. Hydrogen fuel cells and solar have limits. Nuclear waste batteries don’t care about clouds or fuel logistics.
No timeline yet. DARPA doesn’t release those lightly. But the project name alone — SYMPHONEE — suggests they’re thinking big.
