At its end, Robonaut 2, the humanoid robot which will finally make history, after several delayed missions, is currently receiving the final tweaks which would turn it into a reliable member of the crew. A crew which the robot met this week.
NASA's STS 133 mission is scheduled to launch on February 24 and, according to Mike Moses, mission management team chair, everything is ready to go.
"Everything is on track and going beautifully with the countdown. We're really looking forward to a very action-packed, successful mission and everything is on track."
So, what is so important about this robot that we keep telling you about? Robonaut 2, if it manages to pass all the tests successfully, will become a robot of monumental importance. Just like Laika, who became the first ever living creature to fly into outer space (against its will), or like Yuri Gagarin, the first human to do the same (willingly, this time), Robonaut 2 will become a road opener for the robot world.
If successful, the tests the robot will be subjected to will spawn a new breed of robots which could be more effectively used in extravehicular activities (EVA), replacing both the need for the astronauts to leave the space station or space craft and the necessity to use bulky, clumsy and slow robotized arms.
Google News