NASA Sends Robot Hotel to Space Station on Upcoming SpaceX Mission
NASA is launching a specialized storage unit to the International Space Station to house exterior robots. The protected garage saves valuable interior space and cuts down on preparation time for leak-detecting equipment.
NASA is sending a protective storage unit called the Robotic Tool Stowage (RiTS) to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Despite its nickname as a "robot hotel," the unit functions more like a garage by shielding equipment from radiation and micrometeorites when the machines are not in use.
The first occupants of this external shelter are two Robotic External Leak Locators (RELL) that scan the station's exterior hull for dangerous gas leaks. Previously, astronauts have to store these robots inside the station, which takes up precious living and working space that is needed for other research and activities.
Because the RiTS sits on the outside of the station, the Dextre robotic arm retrieves and deploys the leak detectors much faster than before. This external setup eliminates the long 12-hour calibration process previously required, allowing the RELL units to start their critical safety inspections almost immediately.