Astrobee is NASA’s free-flying robotic system for research and routine tasks aboard the International Space Station.
- Company
- NASA
- Country
- United States
- Status
- Prototype
- Generation
- —
- Category
- Space
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Astrobee is NASA’s free-flying robotic system for research and routine tasks aboard the International Space Station.
- Company
- NASA
- Status
- Prototype
- Generation
- —
- Category
- Space
Quick specs
Height
32 cm per cube
Autonomy
Autonomous flight, docking, and periodic status-check task execution
Robot names
Honey, Queen, Bumble
Propulsion
Electric fan propulsion
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Technical dossier
Technical narrative
Visual brief
History
NASA developed Astrobee at Ames Research Center to succeed the SPHERES free-flyer testbed aboard the International Space Station.
Purpose
Astrobee assists with inventory, experiment documentation, cargo movement, and microgravity robotics research inside the ISS.
Highlights
NASA names the three flight robots Honey, Queen, and Bumble. Each cube measures 12.5 inches wide and carries a perching arm for handrail grasping.
Development
The Astrobee system includes three cubed robots, software, and a docking station for recharging. Robots can work autonomously or via remote control by astronauts or ground teams.
Future Roadmap
NASA describes Astrobee as a research platform for guest scientists and as experience toward future deep-space caretaker robotics.
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