space shuttle launch

Quick Quiz:? When the space shuttle Discovery launch was delayed often provides the International Space Station (ISS), how many crew will be back, you say? Put 6-1/2.

Sporting a sleek bronze helmet with a cool Iron Man-reflective screen, plus a tight white uniform, then head to the local gym, the extra half of R2. Think pencil-neck Power Ranger and no legs.

R2 is a waist-up is part of a humanoid robot - a prototype "robonaut" may be just as at home, a factory production line, to restore the power converters on the outside of the station, or holding a button while an astronaut losing trainer Colbert cranky.

Launch of space shuttle Discovery last: it was the shuttle program is worth?

Indeed, half of the interchangeable parts, the ISS can only be exchanged for people in space suits, "says Ron Diftler, robonaut Project, Johnson Space Flight Center in Houston. Preparations for the spacewalk is time-consuming, and outside of the lock of the work downright dangerous.

"Our goal is to robonaut to build a robot to approach the capacity of a spacesuited astronaut," said Mr. Diftler. "If we do so, the robot has multiple roles."

In addition, to obtain some of the more routine spacewalk tasks for the robot to relieve astronauts of mundane tasks in the drive. The robot can also act as a sort of apprentice plumber.