New NASA Robots Will Be 'Busy As a Bee' Aboard ISS - Geek

NASA’s newest International Space Station crew members are creating quite the buzz.

The agency is sending three Astrobee robots to the orbiting outpost.

The cube-shaped devices will stay “as busy as a bee” flying around the station, assisting with routine tasks like maintenance and inventory tracking.

Developed and built at the Ames Research Center, NASA’s bots can also help earthbound researchers carry out experiments, test new technologies, and study human-robot interaction in space.

“Learning how robots can best work with humans in close proximity will be key for exploring the Moon and other destinations,” according to a NASA blog post.

The Astrobees are propelled by fans, and can move in any direction and turn on any axis in space. Each comes with cameras and sensors for navigating inside the ISS without bumping into people, floating objects, or other obstacles.

A detachable arm-and-claw accessory make it easy to handle cargo or run experiments.

The battery-powered bots can operate in fully automated mode, or under remote control by astronauts or researchers on Earth. When its power runs low, the machine autonomously navigates and docks to a power station to recharge.

Astrobee robots were tested in a special lab, where researchers created a mockup of the space station’s interior (via NASA)

Two of the three Astrobee robots are scheduled to launch this month as part of Northrop Grumman’s next delivery of science investigations, supplies, and equipment. Watch the April 17 event live online.

NASA is no stranger to robotics.

In 2017, the agency introduced the Pop-Up Flat Folding Explorer Robot (PUFFER)—an origami-inspired machine that can compress itself to crawl into tight spaces.

And it’s planning a series of robotic commercial delivery missions to the Moon, set to deliver instruments and technology to the surface of Earth’s satellite for projects like identifying water and searching for hydrogen.

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