Robotics for Space Exploration

Robotics for Space Exploration

by Abhay Verma

SPACE CONSISTS OF many fascinating objects that undergo various phenomena not yet fully understood. One of the biggest challenges in observing these celestial objects is their great distance from Earth and the unforgiving environment of space. According to NASA [1], sending robots to space is much cheaper than sending a human. Without the concern of food and other essential supplies, robots can be left in space for extremely long periods of time.

Robotics has been utilized to aid space exploration for decades. Before the first human was sent to space, the USSR launched satellites called “Sputnik” - Russian for “companion” - in 1957. The purpose of these satellites was to collect data regarding the upper layers of the atmosphere and to get a better analysis of the ionosphere through radio propagation. As time progressed, more spacecraft were sent into space for longer distances. In 1977, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 were launched to provide data on the gas giants of our solar system and their moons. These two probes are the farthest from us and are expected to function until 2025 based on their declining power [2]. Currently, there are multiple probes and rovers on the Moon and Mars as well as satellites orbiting asteroids. The humanoid robot “Robonaut 2”, or R2 for short, was deployed on the International Space Station on February 24, 2011 [3]. It was the first dexterous humanoid robot to have been launched in space. With regular maintenance and upgrades to its design, the humanoid robot was first able to move inside the ISS in October 2011. Afterwards, researchers worked to validate the technology that would allow it to perform tasks like cleaning filters and vacuuming [4]. Further upgrades would make the robot capable of servicing the ISS from the outside and conducting scientific experiments. It is interesting to note previous accomplishments in robotics and to speculate on what may be possible to achieve in the future.

Another important issue for human civilization is the energy crisis. The transition from non-renewable to renewable sources is essential to tackle climate change, but even this process is limited by the amount of material and financial resources necessary to construct our plants for renewable energy. As Earth’s resources are being exhausted, the need for alternative energy and materials becomes more pressing. According to a paper by Stuart Armstrong and Anders Sandberg from the Future of Humanity Institute at the University of Oxford, there are viable energy and material resources to fulfill this need, but they are not on Earth [5]. They are instead referring to the Sun as the energy resource and Mercury as the material provider. In short, their suggested plan is to send robotic systems to Mercury that could survive the hostile environment and build components of a structure called a “Dyson Sphere”. A Dyson Sphere is a technological marvel that will allow humans to utilize all the energy radiated by the Sun, not just the amount of energy that reaches Earth. This strategy is not currently feasible given the limitations of existing technology, but it showcases the potential in our designs and the new limits that humans can reach with robotics in space exploration.

Overall, there is still a lot about the universe left for us to study, and advances in robotics will only open new doors in space exploration. Our knowledge of the upper atmosphere and outer space has increased at an exponential rate since the launch of Sputnik. Continuing with this trend, we will be able to uncover answers to many other mysteries.

References

[1] NASA 2021. Why Do We Send Robots To Space? | NASA Space Place – NASA Science for Kids. [online] Available at: <https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/space-robots/ en/> [Accessed 1 August 2021].

[2] NASA. 2021. Voyager - Frequently Asked Questions. [online] Available at: <https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/ frequently-asked-questions/#:~:text=How%20long%20 can%20Voyager%201,science%20instruments%20on%20 through%202020> [Accessed 1 August 2021].

[3] R. Bogue, “Robots for space exploration,” The Industrial Robot, vol. 39, (4), pp. 323-328, 2012. Available:http://dx.doi.org.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fscholarly-journals%2Frobots-space-exploration%2Fdocview%2F1020672356%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D14771.DOI: http://dx.doi.org.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/10.1108/01439911211227872 .

[4] NASA. 2021. Robonaut2. [online] Available at: <https://robonaut.jsc.nasa.gov/R2/> [Accessed 1 August 2021].

[5] Armstrong, S. and Sandberg, A., 2012. Eternity in six hours: intergalactic spreading of intelligent life and sharpening the Fermi paradox. [online] Available at: <http://aleph.se/papers/Spamming%20 the%20universe.pdf> [Accessed 1 August 2021].