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A Midtown engineering firm has landed a contract worth up to $30 million to design and build lighter, greener batteries for airplanes.

Lux Aviation Engineering Corp. will make the four lithium-polymer battery systems used on the new G650 business jet made by Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.

The contract is potentially worth up to $30 million over five years and, with others coming online, will help the company create around 150 new jobs in the Tucson area, said Lux co-founder and President Mark Lukso.

Lux, 1665 E. 18th St., currently employs 23 people, many of whom are engineers and technicians. Lux was founded by Lukso and other family members in 2006 after they exited their previous venture, Securaplane Technologies Inc., a local maker of aircraft power, communications and security systems.

Lukso's father, Dick Lukso, was half-owner of Securaplane and now is CEO of Lux.

The Luksos worked with Gulfstream for more than 20 years while at Securaplane, which also makes aircraft batteries.

"We've been involved with every airplane they've built since the Gulfstream 4," Mark Lukso said.

Gulfstream spokesman Robert Baugniet said Lux was selected for its proven capability to deliver quality products.

Savannah-Ga.-based Gulfstream, a subsidiary of General Dynamics, says the G650 will be the largest, longest-range, fastest business jet the company has ever built.

"It will be our new flagship, so they will be part of that heritage," Baugniet said.

The battery will be designed, assembled and tested in Tucson, although some labor- intensive components will be made elsewhere.

The company plans to apply for patents on its unique design, Lukso said.

Lux's battery system has several key features that make it an improvement over old-style batteries:

● The batteries have several built-in safeguards. The control electronics are built into the system so that the batteries can shut themselves off if they overheat.

Such safety features are important. A malfunctioning lithium test battery caused a three-alarm fire that burned the Securaplane office in 2006.

● The old battery system required a 12-pound battery charger and an 85-pound battery. The new integrated unit weighs 45 pounds. The combined weight savings on the batteries is 200 pounds — the equivalent of a passenger with luggage or 30 gallons of fuel, Lukso said.

● Lithium batteries are greener. They don't use any heavy metals, unlike current batteries that use lead or cadmium.

● The battery plugs into the existing electronics system, making it easy to replace and reducing maintenance time and costs.

Several other projects are in the works at Lux, including the design and assembly of batteries for artificial hearts made by Tucson-based Syncardia Systems Inc. and for some portable ultrasound machines.

"There are numerous opportunities that present themselves every day," Lukso said. "With a fixed amount of money and personnel, we are very focused on the tasks at hand."