“The success of this investigation proves that the GITAI robot can be a solution for space agencies and commercial space companies looking for versatile, dexterous, relatively safe (less exposure to life threatening risks for humans) and inexpensive labor force,” NASA said in a tech demo update.
The next step for the company is to test the Gitai robot outside the ISS. The Japanese startup is developing robots for a range of general purposes in space, including on-orbit servicing of spacecraft, construction or manufacturing tasks. Gitai’s robotic arm was sent to orbit aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule, part of the launch company’s 23 rd Commercial Resupply Services Mission at the end of August. Nanoracks - which announced plans last week to launch a fully private commercial space station with Voyage Space and Lockheed Martin - also furnished on-orbit operations, data downlink and the launch opportunity. The demonstration was performed inside space company Nanoracks’ Bishop Airlock, the world’s first (and only) commercial airlock to be attached to the exterior of the station. There are nine TRLs in total and hitting all of them will be critical for Gitai commercializing its robots.
The successful demo raised what NASA calls the “technology readiness level” of the Gitai robot to TRL 7. These tasks - common crew activities - can be used in a general-purpose way for a range of in-space activities. The S1 robotic arm performed two tasks: operating cables and switches, and assembling structures and panels. Tokyo space startup Gitai Japan successfully conducted a technology demonstration of its autonomous robotic arm inside the International Space Station last week, a key milestone as the company prepares to provide robotics as a service in space.
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