Summary Draft 2: Astrobee (A)

 In the article “Astrobee Will Find Astronauts’ Lost Socks”, Ackerman (2021) stated that the robot, Astrobee, will be in charge of maintaining the empty Gateway, which is a permanent space station that serves as a rest stop for astronauts. Test results from the article reported that Astrobee could locate the designated position, detect foreign objects’ blockage, request assistance for blockage clearance, and build a detailed “multi-sensor 3D map”. Astrobee managed to disentangle itself from stray wires and cables, cope with communication interference, and complete all tasks with minimal help. However, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) requires robots to manage situations that call for physical intervention. Since the creation of Astrobee was not to manipulate, it will require the assistance of Robonaut 2, which was created to carry out many chores like an astronaut. Additionally, other robots, such as GITAI’s arm, will also be involved in testing on the International Space Station (ISS). In hopes of having the ISS and Gateway entirely dependent on the maintenance of robots, the Integrated System for Autonomous and Adaptive Caretaking project will be more reliant on robotic autonomy so that humans will have a base prepared in space. 

Thanks to rapid technological advancements, robots will soon take over numerous human jobs. Astrobee is a new and essential tool created to enhance crewmembers’ safety while improving the effectiveness of flight and payload operations.


The Astrobee is a helpful tool created to look over and set up the Gateway even when there is one around. It has the ability to reduce the number of time astronauts usually spend on routine duties, allowing them to have more time to focus on other things. Astrobee is able to work independently or it could depend on a remote control that can be used by astronauts, flight controllers, and even by researchers on the ground.


Oxygen is the most basic requirement for humans to survive. Therefore, it is critical that  Astrobee is capable of monitoring the oxygen level in the air. From the article “Astrobee: A New Tool for ISS Operations”, Bualat et al. (2018) stated that the concentration of carbon dioxide in space could easily be ten to twenty times higher than the ambient level on earth and that when a person is overly exposed to this level of CO2, it could lead to issues such as “headaches, visual disturbance, and other central nervous system (CNS) symptoms”.


Astrobee can improve the efficiency of flight and payload operations by assisting the crew members in the simple removal and replacement of their “major modules,” such as the propulsion modules, forward and aft panels, and payloads.” Even when Astrobee’s battery runs out, it can return to its docking station and recharge itself without requiring the assistance of a human.


Every advantage, like the two sides of a coin, has a disadvantage. The Astrobee’s docking station was a problem for NASA; it was challenging for NASA to identify a location for the Astrobee docking station as the ISS has limited space to install a docking station for the Astrobee. Unlike the Int-Ball or CIMON, it does not require a docking station, so NASA does not need to find a space for it, unlike the Astrobee.


In conclusion, in my opinion, Astrobee is the most suitable robot for the Gateway because it not only meets the requirements that most of the other robots couldn’t,  but there is also the possibility that more functions will be introduced in the near future. Unless a better robot is produced, Astrobee is the best choice for now.



References:

Ackerman, E. (2017) “How NASA's Astrobee Robot Is Bringing Useful Autonomy to the ISS” 

Bualat, M. et al (2018). Astrobee: A new tool for ISS operations.

Kline, R. and Sherbrooke, C.
 (2012) “Inventory based upon system availability for the space station freedom” 

Meyer, M. (2014). ISS Ambient Air Quality: Updated Inventory of Known Aerosol Sources. 44th International Conference on Environmental Systems.

Smith, T. et al (2016) “Astrobee: A new platform for free-flying robotics on the international space station” https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20160007769/downloads/20160007769.pdf

Vargas, A.(2018) “Astrobee: Current status and future use as an international research platform”
https://longhorizon.org/trey/papers/mora19_guest_science_iac.pdf

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