International Space Station Testbed for Analog Research

NASA Public Affairs Officer Kelly Humphries interviews Sandra Fletcher, EVA Systems Flight Controller. They discuss the International Space Station Testbed for Analog Research (ISTAR) activity that mimics robotic and remotely controlled activities that may one day be used on a voyage to Mars. The station offers a unique platform to test future exploration systems and operations because it provides a long-duration, zero-gravity space environment and the opportunity to evaluate many factors not available in other analog missions.

NASA | RRM: The Main Event

Publicado el 23/01/2013 In orbit at 18,000 miles an hour, day and night change places every 90 minutes. Darkness and light, sleep and wake: it's tough to focus on precise tasks floating outside the International Space Station. But not if you're a robot. NASA's Robotic Refueling Mission puts that proposition to the test, with a first-of-its-kind demonstration of a simulated fuel transfer in space, no human in sight. But first, there's a pile of prep before the operation can commence.

Robotic Refueling Mission: The Main Event

The prospect of robots in space tantalizes NASA engineers with extraordinary possibility. Powerful and sophisticated, these tools may be able to extend the working lives of aging spacecraft, something that would profoundly change the way we manage expensive flight hardware. The Robotic Refueling Mission tests this proposition with a battery of demonstrations, culminating in the marquee event. This video takes a look at the progress made through proof-of-concept testing aboard the International Space Station in January 2013. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

Bigelow Expandable Activity Module Installation Animation

An animation of the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module's extraction and installation on the International Space Station.

NASA | Space Station Robots Test Techniques of the Future.

Publicado el 10/01/2013 Engineers practice precise maneuvers for the Robotic Refueling Mission and animations of various robotic tasks to be preformed at International Space Station.