The Fifty-Year Battery
Chuck Berry’s Lost Golden Record and how DKS Unlocked the NASA Secret to Endless Energy
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"The energy of the universe is never wasted—it only changes form."
– Carl Sagan
"The day we tap into limitless clean energy is the day we start living like gods."
– Ray Kurzweil
"Rock music is the sound of human rebellion, and rebellion is energy."
– Alice Cooper
Rock & Roll with Aliens
If space aliens ever discover proof of human life, it may likely be in the form of learning about a country boy named Johnny B. Goode who never learned to read or write so well, but could play the guitar just like ringing a bell.
And that’s because fifty years ago Chuck Berry’s hit single Johnny B. Goode (along with Mozart, Bach, and others) was etched onto a solid gold record and sent hurtling into deep space.
If that alien playlist is someday found (or has already been found…?) Chuck Berry would be a fitting introduction. Rock and Roll has always been the sound of rebellion. And neither that record, the satellite that still carries it today, nor its mission to deep space and beyond, was ever certain to happen.
The story of the engineering breakthrough that made it all possible is one of the great technical achievements of the last fifty years. It’s a story of Pirate engineering (and you know we love pirates!) and of Rock and Roll outcomes (and no, we’re not talking about Jethro Tull again!).
And it’s the story that led us to invest in Direct Kinetic Solutions and their incredible radio-isotopic power supplies.
ONE LAST SATELLITE
Launched on September 5, 1977, the satellite Voyager 1 was commissioned to conduct a detailed study of Jupiter and Saturn—their moons, magnetic fields, and intricate dynamics. Originally part of NASA’s Grand Tour of the Outer Planets, the mission was designed to capitalize on a rare planetary alignment that occurs just once every 176 years, enabling the spacecraft to use gravity-assists to visit multiple planets in a single, unprecedented journey.
Unfortunately, this mission was also a bit of a finale for the US space program. Money was tight, and politicians were under pressure to cut costs and to fix more…local…problems. When NASA engineers were tasked with building Voyager, they were informed that it would likely be their last opportunity to send a probe into space for decades to come. A bad economy, incoming budget cuts, and shifting political priorities threatened to put space exploration on a long-term pause.
Faced with these constraints—and the uncertainty of the future—NASA engineers made a radical choice. They designed a spacecraft that would far exceed its original mission parameters, ensuring its survival for decades to come.
PIRATE ENGINEERING
Instead of designing Voyager for a short-lived flyby of Jupiter and Saturn, the engineers designed and built a spacecraft meant to endure for generations, embedding redundancies and durability far beyond its limited mission scope.
Voyager was officially mandated for just five years—long enough to complete the grand tour of Jupiter and Saturn beforing being decommissioned. But the NASA team refused to build for obsolescence. Without asking for approval, they set out to create a spacecraft that could last.
But the first step would be the hardest: they needed to develop a dramatically superior kind of power source—one capable of sustaining the mission not just for years, but for decades. And neither chemical batteries nor solar panels would work.
They were, in short, going to have to “science the shit out of it…”
THE CHALLENGE OF DEEP SPACE POWER
If the Voyager satellite was to journey beyond Jupiter and Saturn it would enter a realm farther than any space craft had ever travelled. And to be operational in that cold, dark, and remote wilderness would require a reliable energy source that simply didn’t exist.
Chemical batteries weren’t an option. Even today’s best lithium-ion batteries degrade over time, losing efficiency within a few years. A spacecraft relying on them would die long before reaching the outer planets.
Solar panels were also impossible. Near Earth, sunlight is strong enough to power satellites and space stations. But by the time a spacecraft reaches Saturn, sunlight is just 1% as intense as it is near Earth. By Neptune, solar energy is practically nonexistent. NASA’s go-to solar-powered systems were out of the question because the light would be too weak.
NASA needed a power source that could endure—not just for years, but for decades.
The engineers devised and expanded a radical technology: radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTG). These compact nuclear power systems convert heat from radioactive decay into electricity. With careful calculation and implementation, they could isolate the right compounds and accurately predict the half-life decay – and therefore the energy production – of the battery.
An RTG requires no fuel refills, have no moving parts, and operate in any conditions. It would simply work—silently, continuously, and in any environment. With RTGs, Voyager could operate in the remote darkness of deep space long after its official mission was over.
HOW RTG WORKS
At the heart of an RTG is a radioactive isotope, typically plutonium-238. As the compound decays, it releases heat, which is converted into electricity by thermocouples—simple devices that generate electrical current when exposed to a temperature difference.
Unlike conventional batteries, which breakdown over time, RTGs provide a steady, predictable power output that can last for decades. Among other benefits, these power supplies provided:
No moving parts → Unlike traditional generators, RTGs contain no mechanical components that could wear out or fail.
Predictable power output → RTGs gradually lose energy a known rate, allowing NASA to plan missions with remarkable precision.
Operational in any environment → RTGs don’t need sunlight and aren’t effected by temperature or light and could operate in the cold darkness of deep space.
With this breakthrough in hand, the engineers took things a step further. They quietly over-engineered Voyager, reinforcing its hardware and software to survive extreme conditions. They ignored planned requirements and bet on the long game, designing a spacecraft that—if they were lucky—might still be transmitting data long into the future.
The gamble paid off.
Nearly fifty years later, Voyager 1 is still transmitting signals back to Earth, even as it drifts into interstellar space more than 9 billion miles away.
DKS AND THE RACE FOR ENDLESS ENERGY
RTGs became the gold standard for deep-space exploration—one of the most reliable energy solutions in history. But they were large, expensive, and relied on radioactive materials that were potentially dangerous. So for decades, RTGs and the techonlogies like them remained locked away in government space programs, nuclear submarines, and classified military projects.
That’s changing.
Over the past five years, Direct Kinetic Solutions (DKS) has worked alongside the U.S. Air Force to advance, miniaturize, and commercialize a similar type of breakthrough technology. The result is a new type of radio-isotopic power supply that fits into a D-sized battery form factor and can run for over 20 years without charging, maintenance, or degradation.
It’s a game-changer. A safe, long-lasting power source that eliminates charging cycles and maintenance costs, unlocks entirely new possibilities for satellites, sensors, surveillance, and AI-driven intelligence networks.
And just like Voyager, this technology isn’t just about longevity. It’s about reshaping the way we think about power itself.
A BATTERY THAT NEVER NEEDS RECHARGING
The team at DKS saw a transformative opportunity: What if the same continuous energy system that keeps Voyager running could be miniaturized? What if we could power devices for decades—without ever needing to replace or recharge the battery?
By proving the technical merits and demonstrating an initial protype the company has secured over $10 million in military and government funding to develop a self-sustaining, long-life battery designed for security and commercial applications.
“Think of anything that needs to be powered for years without interruption—that’s what we deliver by harnessing isotopes. Essentially, it’s a miniature version of what keeps nuclear submarines and spacecraft running but designed for everyday use.”
Now, that vision is a reality.
"What we’re doing," explains Joanna Patsalis, Co-Founder and COO of DKS, "is combining the persistence and reliability of a power plant with the convenience and mobility of a battery. Think of anything that needs to be powered for years without interruption—that’s what we deliver by harnessing isotopes. Essentially, it’s a miniature version of what keeps nuclear submarines and spacecraft running but designed for everyday use."
The company has made significant advances on the original technology. While traditional RTGs relied on plutonium-238—a rare and highly restricted material—the research teams at DKS have developed an advanced power generation that uses a proprietary compound of beta-emitting isotopes in a safe, self-contained, and commercially applicable system. While RTGs generate heat to produce power, betavoltaic cells directly generate electricity from particle emissions.
Betavoltaic power systems produce electricity using semiconductors (the transducers of the system) based on radioisotope cells that emit particles that strike a semiconductor and create electron-hole pairs. Electricity is then generated by the movement of these electron-hole pairs in order to create an electric current with the semiconductor. The current is then harnessed as usable electrical energy.
This advanced approach provides multiple distinct advantages. While legacy RTG systems generate significant power, they are very large and leverage highly restricted nuclear materials. The DKS betavoltaic batteries are based on isotopic materials that are commercially safe, can be miniaturized, and are designed its power supply to match existing Size D battery form factors. This makes integration seamless with existing equipment.
The result? A compact, maintenance-free power source that outperforms traditional batteries in almost every way:
Decades of Energy → Unlike lithium-ion batteries, which degrade with each charge cycle, the DKS battery can provide a steady stream of power for decades.
No recharging required → Completely self-sustaining, it requires no sunlight, no manual recharges, and no connection to a power grid.
No moving parts → With no mechanical failure points, it’s one of the most reliable power sources ever created.
All-environment capability → Functions in extreme conditions—deep space, high thermal environments, the Arctic, or underwater—where traditional batteries fail.
In short, DKS has taken a proven technological approach once reserved for space exploration, improved its power capabilities, miniaturized its form factor, and brought it down to Earth. We believe the result will fundamentally redefine how everyone thinks about and uses power supply.
WHY THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
The world is beginning to notice. The first markets for DKS’s technology are those where traditional power solutions have failed—places where size and weight matter, where batteries die too soon, solar panels fall short, and maintenance and recharging are costly or impossible.
Satellites & Space Exploration → Small satellites like CubeSats often fail because they run out of power before their mission ends. With support from DKS’s battery, these devices can operate for decades—no sunlight required.
Underwater Pipeline & Industrial Monitoring → Today’s sensors require frequent, costly battery replacements. DKS-powered sensors can extend operational life in pipeline monitoring systems, reducing maintenance needs over decades.
Border Security & Surveillance → A single DKS battery can help extend power surveillance networks indefinitely, cutting maintenance costs by 90%.
Internet of Things (IoT) & Smart Cities → Most IoT devices rely on frequent battery changes. DKS’s technology will help these to function far longer, revolutionizing urban infrastructure.
But perhaps the most profound impact is in supporting and extending AI-powered autonomy and edge devices and sensors used or data capture. Extending battery life allows us to place critical sensors in locations and environments that previously were too hard or too costly to service.
A world freed from power limitations is a world where data, AI, and automation reach their full potential.
“Think about how many critical devices require power and constant maintenance—whether it's industrial sensors, satellites, or security networks. Right now, if you need to monitor an area unattended for years, you simply can't. You either have to replace batteries, or you lose functionality.”
WHO NEEDS A 20 YEAR BATTERY?
Ekhi Muniategui, the Co-founder and CEO of Direct Kinetic Solutions (DKS) and a Texas-trained industrial engineer, sums up the company’s mission succinctly:
"Think about how many critical devices require power and constant maintenance—whether it's industrial sensors, satellites, or security networks. Right now, if you need to monitor an area unattended for years, you simply can't. You either have to replace batteries, or you lose functionality."
The First Wave of Applications is already underway:
Space Exploration & Satellites → For satellite operators, power is the ultimate constraint. Most small satellites rely on solar panels and chemical batteries, limiting both their functionality and lifespan. DKS power supplies can help reduce that limitation. With a compact, continuous power source, satellites are better positioned to operate for decades—just like Voyager.
Underwater Infrastructure & Industrial Monitoring → The oil & gas, shipping, and environmental monitoring industries rely on sensor networks that must function in remote locations without battery replacements. DKS’s power system eliminates costly maintenance cycles, enabling real-time, long-term data collection in hostile environments.Border Security & Autonomous Surveillance → Governments and private security firms spend billions on deploying motion sensors, drones, and surveillance networks—all of which require frequent battery replacements. With DKS’s 20-year power supply, surveillance systems are able to operate more efficiently and for far longer, reducing costs and enhancing security.
With DKS’s breakthrough technology, power supply is no longer a limitation—it’s a strategic advantage.
INTELLIGENCE EVERYWHERE, ALL THE TIME, FOREVER
The real revolution in energy isn’t just about longer-lasting batteries—it’s about reshaping the infrastructure of intelligence itself. It’s about where we can place digital devices, how long they can operate there, and what we can learn from them. It’s power that is ubiquitous, persistent, and unfailing.
This capability is a key part of our overall investment thesis at Audere, and we are excited that for the first time, companies are able to deploy sensors and monitoring systems that never need recharging or maintenance—capturing real-time data from the deep ocean, remote deserts, arctic environments, upper atmosphere, outer space, and even the human body.
That’s what why we’re so excited about what Direct Kinetic Solutions is building.
But to be honest, we also think it’s pretty cool that this was all kicked off by some renegade engineers solving an impossible problem. And that as a result, there’s some small chance that the first sound interstellar aliens might hear from Earth will be the rock chords of Johnny B. Goode on Voyager’s golden record and powered by a nuclear battery that never needed recharging.
So go Johnny, go, go, go! And as always, build boldly and dare to be first.
Peter & Maggie