KENNEDY
SPACE CENTER, Fla., April 24,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In science fiction movies, we
often see robots zipping around spacecraft performing various
tasks. What was once only science fiction has now come to life on
the International Space Station (ISS), where NASA's trio of
free-flying robots called Astrobees assist astronauts and conduct
valuable research, including many investigations sponsored by the
ISS National Laboratory®.
In the latest issue of Upward, official
magazine of the ISS National Lab, see how researchers are using the
Astrobees—named Queen, Honey, and Bumble—to test innovative new
technology with important applications on future spaceflight
missions and back on Earth. In one investigation, engineering firm
Bosch partnered with aerospace company Astrobotic to use the
Astrobees to test smart microphone technology that can identify
anomalies in spacecraft and other equipment by making sense of
sounds. In another project, researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the German Space Agency used the robots to
test algorithms and technology that could help recover tumbling
satellites in space.
The Astrobees are also helping build the future space
industry workforce through MIT's Zero
Robotics competition, a Space Station Explorers partner
program. Students in grades 6-12 participate in a competition in
which they write computer code to control the free-flying robots in
challenges on the space station. By teaching students valuable
coding skills and providing an opportunity to interact with
astronauts on station, Zero Robotics aims to inspire students to
pursue careers in science and engineering fields.
Read more in the Upward article "Free-Flying
Robots in Space: How Real-Life Droids are Testing New Tech."
Upward is dedicated to communicating the results of ISS
National Lab-sponsored experiments that demonstrate the value of
space-based research and technology development. The
full Upward Volume 7, Issue 1 is now available for
download, along with previous issues.
To download a high-resolution image for this release,
click here.
About the International Space Station (ISS) National
Laboratory:
The International Space Station (ISS) is a
one-of-a-kind laboratory that enables research and technology
development not possible on Earth. As a public service enterprise,
the ISS National Laboratory® allows researchers to
leverage this multiuser facility to improve quality of life on
Earth, mature space-based business models, advance science literacy
in the future workforce, and expand a sustainable and scalable
market in low Earth orbit. Through this orbiting national
laboratory, research resources on the ISS are available to support
non-NASA science, technology, and education initiatives from U.S.
government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector.
The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space™
(CASIS™) manages the ISS National Lab, under Cooperative
Agreement with NASA, facilitating access to its permanent
microgravity research environment, a powerful vantage point in low
Earth orbit, and the extreme and varied conditions of space. To
learn more about the ISS National Lab, visit our
website.
Media Contact:
|
Patrick
O'Neill
|
|
904-806-0035
|
|
PONeill@ISSNationalLab.org
|
International Space Station (ISS) National
Laboratory
|
Managed by the Center
for the Advancement of Science in Space, Inc. (CASIS)
|
______________________________________________________________________________
|
6905 N. Wickham Rd.,
Suite 500, Melbourne, FL 32940 • 321.253.5101 •
www.ISSNationalLab.org
|
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SOURCE International Space Station National Lab