This paper describes a prototype robot and the necessary path planning and control for space inspection applications. The robot is the rst generation of a freeying robotic camera that will assist astronauts in constructing and maintaining the Space Station. The robot will provide remote views to astronauts inside the Space Shuttle and future Space Station, and to ground controllers. The rst par...

Biocontamination within the international space station is ever increasing mainly due to human activity. Control of microorganisms such as fungi and bacteria are important to maintain the well-being of the astronauts during long-term stay in space since the immune functions of astronauts are compromised under microgravity. For the first time control of the growth of an opportunistic pathogen, A...

Before participating in a space mission, astronauts undergo parabolic-flight and underwater training to facilitate their subsequent adaptation to weightlessness. Unfortunately, similar training methods can't be used to prepare re-adaptation to planetary gravity. Here, we propose a quick, simple and inexpensive approach that could be used to prepare astronauts both for the absence and for the re...

No major medical diffifulties were experienced during spaceflight in the era of Russian Vostok/ Voshot or spaceflight programs of Mercury and Gemini, however, when prolonged stays in space stations began in the 1980’s, astronauts or Russian cosmonauts had an increased risk of suffering from renal stones, and resultant bone loss. The detailed mechanism behind this phenomenon is still unknown, bu...

Cosmic radiation is known to induce DNA and lipid damage associated with increased oxidative stress and remains a major concern in space travel. Hydrogen, recently discovered as a novel therapeutic medical gas in a variety of biomedical fields, has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. It is expected that space mission activities will increase in coming years both in numbers and ...

One of the great challenges of putting humanoid robots into space is developing cognitive capabilities for the robots with an interface that allows human astronauts to collaborate with the robots as naturally and efficiently as they would with other astronauts. In this joint effort with NASA and the entire Robonaut team we are integrating natural language and gesture understanding, spatial reas...

In a previous paper, a new scenario for human missions to Mars has been presented. It can be named the 2-4-2 concept. The idea is to minimize IMLEO and the payload on Mars with a crew of only two astronauts. There are two astronauts in each rocket at departure from Earth. They meet on Mars to form a team of four and the pairs are reconstituted for the return (2-4-2). In the previous study it wa...

This paper describes a prototype robot and the necessary path planning and control f o r space inspection applications. T h e robot i s the f irst generation of a freef lying robotic camera that will assist astronauts in constructing and maintaining the Space Station. T h e robot will provide remote views t o astronauts inside the Space Shuttle and future Space Station, and to ground controller...

The Northrop Grumman Space Technology (NGST) Automated Walking Inspection and Maintenance Robot (AWIMR) project was one of many NASA Technology Initiatives for the Exploration Initiative, NASA’s program for return to the Moon and Mars. AWIMR was intended to assist astronauts by moving about on the exterior of a crewed space vehicle, performing inspection and other tasks which might assist astro...

We present a demonstration of a prototype system aimed at providing support with procedural tasks for astronauts on board the International Space Station. Current functionality includes navigation within the procedure, previewing steps, requesting a list of images or a particular image, recording voice notes and spoken alarms, setting parameters such as audio volume. Dialogue capabilities inclu...