Dextre isn’t the only robot in space Several robots work on the ISS Humans have been using robots to explore the solar system for decades Robotic explorers have been to every planet in the solar system There DESIGNING ROBOTS DEXTRE Dextre was designed by the Canadian Space Agency It is part of the ISS’s Mobile Servicing System This robotic system moves equipment and supplies around the station Other parts of this system include a large robotic arm the Canadarm2 Dextre can attach itself to this arm Its own arms have seven joints that can move in almost any direction Its hands are grippers with multiple tools Dextre can use other equipment such as an external leak detection tool have been 20 robotic missions to Mars alone WHAT IS A ROBOT A robot is a machine that can be programmed to do tasks Some robots are operated remotely Others make decisions on their own They make these choices based on their programming and the world around them Robots that can make
Robots are important partners for astronauts decisions like this have artificial intelligence AI Space robots include robotic arms robotic spacecraft and even humanoid robots WHY USE ROBOTS IN SPACE Robots can go where humans can’t go Robotic explorers can spend years flying through space
ROBOTIC SPACECRAFT Robotic spacecraft include orbiters landers and rovers Orbiters fly to a planet then slow down They enter a planet’s orbit Then they can study it for months or even years Landers and rovers travel to the surface of a planet or moon Landers stay in one place They collect samples and take photos Rovers can do these things too But they also can drive from place to place Scientists can learn more about the planet or moon this way They don’t need air food or water They can survive extreme heat and cold Robots can collect and study samples from planets moons comets and asteroids Robots can make life easier for people in space They can unload heavy cargo Robots can spend days in space making repairs They also can do boring tasks such as change air filters or move cargo National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA designers face many challenges But over the last 50 years they have learned a lot The future of space robotics is bright
STRAIGHT TO THE SOURCE Roger Launius works with the National Air and Space Museum In 2008 he discussed human and robotic space exploration in an interview Humans have great capability for problem solving and creativity And when they’re faced with something that’s out of the ordinary that they haven’t trained for or plotted out in detail they can often figure out a way to solve the problem That’s not true with most robots Yet that may change But we’re not there yet On the other hand humans are enormously fragile and the space environment is instant death to us while robots are quite hardy and becoming more so all the time Source Tony Reichardt Humans vs Robots Air Space Smithsonian June 26 2008 Web Accessed November 21 2017 Back It Up Launius uses examples to make a point about exploration Write a paragraph describing the point the author is making Then write down two or three pieces of evidence or examples the author uses to make his point
