| HOME >> BIOLOGY >> TECHNOLOGY |
In mid-January, NASA will take the next step in advancing robotic satellite-servicing technologies as it tests the Robotic Refueling Mission, or RRM aboard the International Space Station. The investigation may one day substantially impact the many satellites that deliver products Americans rely upon daily, such as weather reports, cell phones and television news.
During five days of operations, controllers from NASA and the Canadian Space Agency will use the space station's remotely operated Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, or Dextre, robot to simulate robotic refueling in space. Operating a space-based robotic arm from the ground is a feat on its own, but NASA will do more than just robotics work as controllers remotely snip wires, unscrew caps and transfer simulated fuel. The team also will demonstrate tools, technologies and techniques that could one day make satellites in space greener, more robust and more capable of delivering essential services to people on Earth.
Why Fix or Refuel a Satellite?
"Every satellite has a lifespan and eventual retirement date, determined by the reliability of its components and how much fuel it can carry," explains Benjamin Reed, deputy project manager of NASA's Satellite Servicing Capabilities Office, or SSCO.
Repairing and refueling satellites already in place, Reed asserts, can be far less expensive than building and launching entirely new spacecraft, potentially saving millions, even billions of dollars and many years of work.
The RRM demonstration specifically tests what it would take to repair and refuel satellites traveling the busy space highway of geosynchronous Earth orbit, or GEO. Located about 22,000 miles above Earth, this orbital path is home to more than 400 satellites, many of which beam communications, television and weather data to customers worldwide.
By developing robotic capabilities to repair and refuel GEO satellites, NASA hopes to add p
'/>"/>
| Contact: Dewayne Washington Dewayne.a.washington@nasa.gov 301-286-0040 NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Source:Eurekalert |
Related biology technology :
1. Flexing fingers for micro-robotics: Berkeley Lab scientists create a powerful, microscale actuator
2. UT Arlington research team wins $1.35 million NSF robotics grant to develop smart skin applications
3. People with paralysis control robotic arms to reach and grasp using brain computer interface
4. Paralyzed individuals use thought-controlled robotic arm to reach and grasp
5. In new mass-production technique, robotic insects spring to life
6. JumpStart Invests $250,000 in Milo Biotechnology
7. Critical Process Filtration Announces New Website and Expanded Literature Library
8. Medivir Announces TMC435 in an Expanded Clinical Collaboration
9. Intarcia Announces Expanded Appointment for Kurt Graves as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
10. Expanded Findings for FirstMarks Completed Clinical Study for Predicting Near-Term (2-3 Years) MI
11. UPM Pharmaceuticals Enhances its Pre-Formulation Capabilities
 |
| Copyright © 2003-2012 Bio-Medicine. All rights reserved. ABOUT | CONTACT US | DISCLAIMER | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS AND CONDITIONS |  |