Summary:

NASA’s 1989 LRB battery study centers silver through its recommendation of silver-zinc primary batteries to power thrust-vector-control and valve actuators. The design targets ~270 VDC using nine ~30 V units in series, delivering ~37 kW average (to ~165 kW peak) over ~2–3 minutes during first-stage ascent.

Engineers compare “heavy” vs “newer, lighter” silver-zinc chemistries: ~8 Wh/lb with ~36-day wet-life for the older design vs ~25 Wh/lb and 2–4-month wet-life for lighter variants, activated before launch by adding electrolyte or with charge-piercing squibs. Sizing implied seven series strings (plus two for redundancy) to meet ~1 Ah quick-dump needs.

Alternatives—lithium-thionyl chloride primaries, Ni-Cd rechargeables, and thermal batteries—are discussed but silver-zinc is favored for reliability, discharge rate, and heritage (e.g., lunar missions). The report also lists suppliers like Eagle-Picher and Yardney as key manufacturers of silver-based aerospace batteries.