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)

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