Robotic Refueling Mission: Day 1

refueling is challenging. Before a satellite leaves the ground, technicians fill its fuel tank through a valve that's then triple-sealed and covered with a protective blanket, designed never to be accessed again. RRM paves the way for a future robotic servicing mission by demonstrating that a remote-controlled robot can overcome these obstacles to service and refuel a satellite on orbit. On Jan. 14, 2013, NASA engineers put a robot to work outside the International Space Station to test some of these capabilities. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center