Autonomous Robot Arm Completes Space Station Tasks

Gitai, an LA-based space robotics startup, has announced that its autonomous dual robotic arm system has successfully completed a series of tasks aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

The tasks included in-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing services, which the company said are “crucial for on-orbit satellite servicing.” 

The project marks Gitai’s second successful demonstration of its robotic tech, following an earlier demonstration inside the ISS in 2021.

The S2 robotic arm, measuring just under 5 feet, was launched to the ISS in January, carried by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. It was mounted on Nanoracks’ airlock module, Bishop Airlock, to perform on-orbit services, including maintenance, inspection, and life-extension operations for satellites.

Gitai said the success of the project represents a “major milestone” in its development of robotic systems for space and demonstrates its feasibility as a fully operational system.

"It was a thrilling experience watching S2 launch on the SpaceX mission and successfully dock at the Space Station for Gitai's second demonstration," said Sho Nakanose, Gitai’s CEO. 

"We're actively developing a spacecraft capable of performing rendezvous, repair, inspection, and life extension services for customers' satellites. This tech demo confirms the feasibility of our core technology for the ISAM services we're looking to offer commercial and government customers."

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Gitai said it will conduct additional reliability tests over the next five months to further test S2’s efficacy.

“Leveraging the success of this external demonstration, we are poised to accelerate the in-house development of a robotic satellite for on-orbit services, aiming to begin providing on-orbit servicing in 2026,” Gitai said in a statement.