Intelligent Systems: Astrobee Team Operates Free Flying Robots aboard the International Space Station (ISS)

June 16, 2020

Astrobee is a free-flying robot system that operates as a payload inside the International Space Station (ISS). There are three robots named Honey, Bumble and Queen along with a docking station for recharging. Tasks for Astrobee robots, such as keeping track of inventory aboard the station, will help increase astronaut productivity by offloading work spent on routine duties, allowing crew to focus more on the things that only humans can do. Additionally, robots can perform care-taking duties on deep-space outposts, such as the lunar Gateway, helping maintain spacecraft when astronauts are not aboard. 

NAMS Staff, Ruben Garcia, Software Engineer supported remote operations for verification of hardware and flight software systems such as localization and navigation in Astrobee units Honey and Bumble. The Astrobee team conducted these activities teleworking from their individual homes to meet NASA's mission-critical need to advance autonomous and robotic technology which will play a role in the agency’s mission to return to moon under the Artemis program. Recently, NASA Astronaut Chris Cassidy performed a series of tests with Astrobee's free-flying robot, named Honey, to verify that it will be fully commissioned, like its robotic teammate, Bumble. Soon, both will be ready to carry out tasks and run science investigations aboard the International Space Station.

https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/nasas-astrobee-team-teleworks-runs-robot-space/