>> Space Station is testing a robot mechanic
that one day might be dispatched to perform simple repair tasks
on the orbiting satellites.
It's called RRM.
Lori Meggs with the Station's Payload Operation Integration
Center in Huntsville spoke with scientists
from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center working
on this technology demonstration
on this robotic refueling mission.
>> Just like if you were to go put fuel in your car.
You have to open up your gas cap.
Put in the fueling valve.
Transfer the fuel.
Close it up and go.
Same thing on a satellite.
Satellite fuel valves are closed out with a series of caps
and wires for ground safety.
So, in order to put more fuel into a satellite,
you have to cut those wires and remove those caps
and then install the fuel, refueling tool, transfer fuel
and then again close it out.
The same if you want to do it on the ground with your car.
>> Right now satellites are designed
to not be serviced at all.
They're closed out on the ground to never be touched again.
Which was part of what we wanted to do with RRM,
which was demonstrate that we could actually interface
with those, for example, filling drain valves,
electrical connectors, MOI, if we can interface
with these things that were meant to be serviced,
then we could prove that we could go
up to the exiting satellite and service them.
>> We built a series of unique innovative tools
to utilize the robot on the International Space Station.
Dexter was intended to do maintenance on Station.
Move an ORUR box from one location to another location.
So we studied that robot and determined
that we could build innovative tools that the robot could grab
on to and remove these caps.
Cut the wires and again transfer the fuel.
We have four tools on board.
One is what we call the multilayer insulation tool.
It cuts the wire.
It grabs on to the blanket.
One is called the safety cap removal tool.
It grabs on to the safety cap
on to the fuel valve and removes it.
So one is our refueling tool.
That's designed just to thread
on to the fuel valve, transfer the fuel.
And then the other one is what we call a multifunction tool.
It's just like a standard socket wrench
that you'd use in your garage.
We designed it so that we could fly multiple adaptors or sockets
like you would use in your garage.
And that way we don't have to have more tools.
We have the one tool and can fly smaller adaptors.
So, again, like I said it's modular.
If we want to continue multiple iterations
of the technology demonstration,
we just have to fly new adaptors.
And we can continue using that one,
what we call multifunction tool
to manipulate these adaptors with the robot.
>> The first [inaudible] tools that we had were great,
but we have learned a lot of lessons and improvements
and how we can make them easier to operate
for the robotic operators on the ground
and also more efficient at their task.
>> What kind of results have we seen?
>> So far we've had phenomenal results.
Everything has really gone as planned.
Slower sometimes.
We found that alignment is key.
So you know, we work very closely with the robot operators
at the Johnson Space Center during real time operations
to ensure that the alignment aids that we've put on the tools
and the alignment aids and the overlays that they have
on their screens are where we want them to be.
But there's been still a couple of things we haven't predicted.
And so, but we've been able to work through all of them
and successfully completed all of our tasks
from again the first series was removing caps and cutting wires.
Just kind of getting our feet wet.
And then the second series was doing the end-to-end refueling
where we cut all the wire, removed all the caps,
and did the eventual refueling.
And then the third set of tasks is what we call our
tertiary tasks.
It was manipulating blankets.
It was, we manipulated some number ten torque sets,
just small screws.
Not designed to be done with a robot again,
but showing that the robot could align itself
on to a small fashion or screw, remove it, and put it back in.
So just trying to give the community a flavor
of what's available with robotic servicing technology.
>> The next step would be developing interfaces
for the satellites that were designed to be serviced.
So like putting for example a target
on that the robotic system could use for alignment.
Putting in a valve or something else
that had a more friendly robotic interface on it,
something that was more easily adaptable to a robotic system.
Whereas now those interfaces are just designed
for interaction with human hands.
Which was obviously much different
than the robotic systems that we have.
It benefits everybody.
NASA is very interested because they can use the technology
in order to service and upkeep their own satellite fleet,
in addition to the commercial industry,
who can utilize the technology
for their own purposes and their satellites.
And by doing, by having those organizations utilize the
technology, it benefits everybody else here on earth.
All the different satellites that are up in space right now
that do things like satellite TV, weather, things like that.
If those satellites can be better serviced,
and if we can develop an ecosystem
where satellites are capable of being serviced
on a regular basis and not just replaced when something breaks
or they have reached their end of life,
then it becomes a cheaper and more efficient system
that everybody can take advantage of. ------------------------------9a86a2433f93--