CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA’s humanoid robot has finally awakened in space. Ground controllers turned Robonaut on Monday for the first time since it was delivered to the international space station in February.
The test involved sending power to all of Robonaut’s systems. The robot was not commanded to move; that will happen next week.
“Those electrons feel GOOD! One small step for man, one giant leap for tinman-kind,” Robonaut posted in a Twitter update. (A Robonaut team member posted Monday’s tweets as @AstroRobonaut.)
Robonaut — the first humanoid robot in space — is being tested as a possible astronaut’s helper.
Deputy project manager Nicolaus Radford said if everything continues to check out well, the robot may be able to take on a few mundane chores — such as taking air-velocity measurements inside the space station — early next year.
For now, Robonaut — also called R2 — is designed to stay inside the space station. Future versions might venture out on spacewalks, saving astronauts time while keeping them safe.
