An European android will explore the Moon
The European Space Agency (ESA) will have in a few years a new android astronaut within its ranks, who will be controlled remotely by the astronauts in ESA’s Columbus laboratory on the International Space Station. It is called Justin.
ESA presented on Thursday this project that will help prepare the exploration of the Moon and other planets. The android is being developed at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and will be ready in two or three years.
Justin from DLR
How to control the robot
By wearing an exoskeleton wearable robot – a combination of arm and glove with electronic aids to reproduce the sensations a human hand would feel – a distant operator can work as though he were there.
To help turn robotics and telepresence into a standard tool for space missions, ESA is linking the Space Station and Earth for remotely controlling terrestrial robotic experiments from the orbital outpost.
A testbed for future missions
This Meteron (Multi-purpose End-To-End Robotic Operations Network) initiative is a testbed for future missions to the Moon, Mars and other celestial bodies.
“The Space Station is the perfect orbital platform to simulate very realistic scenarios for human exploration,” says Kim Nergaard, ESA’s Meteron ground segment and operations manager.
Source: ESA
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