16 July 2026 | News
Image Courtesy: Public Domain
KULR Technology Group, Inc. (NYSE American: KULR) (the "Company" or "KULR"), a developer of safe, high-power energy systems that enable physical AI across space, defense, drones, data centers, robotics, and other mission-critical applications, announced that Icarus Robotics (“Icarus”), an autonomous space robotics company, has selected KULR as the battery provider for JOY, its free-flying robotic platform, which is bound for the International Space Station.
Under the agreement, KULR will supply its KULR ONE Space (K1S) battery systems -- engineered to NASA safety standards and proven on the Artemis II crewed lunar mission -- to power JOY’s onboard systems as it performs autonomous navigation, maneuvering, and operations aboard the orbiting station.
“Icarus Robotics represents exactly the type of next-generation space company KULR ONE Space was built to support,” said Michael Mo, Chief Executive Officer of KULR Technology Group. “Autonomous robotics in orbit demand safe, reliable, flight-ready energy systems that perform in mission-critical environments where there is no margin for error. We are proud to power Icarus as it advances a new category of robotic capability for the ISS and future commercial space stations.”
Based in New York City, Icarus Robotics builds general-purpose robotic systems for space operations powered by embodied AI. Its robot, JOY, is built to perform autonomous, free-flying operations that assist with routine tasks, infrastructure maintenance, and future commercial space station activities, freeing astronauts to focus on higher-value research and mission objectives.
JOY is targeted to fly in early 2027, making it the most advanced free-flying robotic platform ever sent to the ISS as part of JOYRIDE-1. By integrating KULR ONE Space battery systems, Icarus draws on KULR’s space-qualified battery architecture, thermal management expertise, and NASA heritage to meet the demanding safety and reliability requirements of human-rated space environments.
“Our goal is to make autonomous robots a standard part of how space stations operate, handling the routine work so crews can focus on the science,” said Ethan Barajas, CEO of Icarus Robotics. “JOY is the first step, and it only works if every system underneath it is dependable enough to run unattended in orbit. That's why we turned to KULR for the energy that keeps it flying.”
The KULR ONE Space battery system is built on KULR’s lightweight REACH battery architecture, delivering high energy density at low mass. K1S systems incorporate strategically selected cells qualified through Initial Lot Assessment (ILA), Lot Acceptance Testing (LAT), and NASA WI-37A cell screening protocols.
KULR CEO Michael Mo added a broader view of the Company’s strategy:
“The next phase of space infrastructure won’t be defined by compute alone. Orbital systems can’t be serviced by technicians, so the robots that inspect, repair, and assemble them — and the batteries that power them — are essential to keeping that infrastructure running safely. This agreement reflects where KULR ONE is headed: the energy and power platform for physical AI, where autonomous systems in orbit must carry both their own intelligence and their own energy.”
This agreement expands KULR’s role as a battery systems provider for the commercial space industry. It builds on KULR’s space heritage, including battery systems designed to meet NASA safety requirements for Artemis crewed spaceflight, an active rideshare mission with Exolaunch aboard a SpaceX launch vehicle, and supply relationships with multiple commercial space operators. KULR’s Webster, Texas manufacturing and R&D facility will support production and qualification testing for the Icarus battery systems.
