Tomorrow is a great day for the first Humanoid in space, named Robonaut 2 or R2. Space Shuttle Discovery will blast off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying aboard a crew of astronauts and also NASA’s Robonaut 2 ( R2). Robonaut 2 will be a permanent resident on the International Space Station ISS and was developed jointly by NASA and General Motors under a cooperative agreement to develop a robotic assistant in space.
The 300-pound R2 consists of a head and a torso with two arms and two hands. R2 will launch on space shuttle Discovery as part of the STS-133 mission planned tomorrow at 4:50 pm EST. R2 will be confined to operations in the station’s laboratory. However, future enhancements and modifications may allow it to move more freely around the station’s interior or outside the complex.
R2 is undergoing extensive testing in preparation for its flight. Vibration, vacuum and radiation testing. Other procedures being conducted on R2 also benefit the team at GM. The automaker plans to use technologies from R2 in future advanced vehicle safety systems and manufacturing plant applications.
R2 packed in SLEEPR. This is the system that will protect R2 during launch
