Voyager, Icarus Robotics to test free-flying robot on space station

By Akash Sriram

March 30 (Reuters) – Space-tech firm Voyager Technologies has secured a mission management contract with robotics startup Icarus Robotics to demonstrate a free-flying robotic system on the International Space Station (ISS), the companies said on Monday. 

NASA has been pushing for more private-sector activity in low Earth orbit ahead of the ISS’s planned retirement in 2030 and robotics is emerging as a key technology for future commercial stations and lunar missions.

Icarus’ “Joyride” system is designed to move inside crewed stations and the test is intended to evaluate how well it can operate in microgravity.

The mission will also play a key role in gathering data needed to train AI models to operate robots in space.

Under the agreement, Voyager will get the robot ready for flight, secure safety approvals, arrange the launch and support operations once it reaches the space station. 

“In order to create robust embodied AI systems, the first step is to get your hardware into the actual environment. Space has the highest barrier to entry of any domain, no simulator can substitute for being there,” Jamie Palmer, co-founder and chief technology officer of Icarus Robotics, told Reuters.

Robots in space can be used to inspect and repair satellites, assist with routine maintenance and logistics aboard space stations and eventually manage and service data centers and other infrastructure in orbit.

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(Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Jonathan Ananda)