Space Robotics: The Pivotal Role in Lunar and Martian Colonization, Current Innovations, and Future Trends

From Star Wars to NASA's Moon & Mars missions, explore the leap of robotics from fiction to reality, the role of $1.5Bn NASA investment, and the race of private space firms. New era ahead!

Issue No 39. Subscribers 6533. Featuring insights from the Assistant Professor at the Space Robotics Laboratory, Tohoku University, Japan, as well as the Chief Commercial Officer of Clear Space.

During our formative years, many of us were enthralled by the iconic Star Wars film series, where remarkable robots like R2D2 and C3PO embarked on thrilling space adventures, tirelessly serving spacecraft and assisting humans in their daily endeavors. At the time, such robots seemed like a product of distant imagination. However, what was once deemed unimaginable has now become a tangible reality as robots actively contribute to human endeavors in space.

Envisioning a future where robots collaborate with humans to colonize Mars. Credit: www.snexplores.org

At Space Ambition, we fervently embrace the vision of establishing colonies on Mars and the Moon. In our vision, robots play a pivotal role in the exploration and development of these extraterrestrial frontiers. Envisaging a future where Martian and lunar colonies flourish, we anticipate a pervasive utilization of robots, effectively supporting human pioneers by undertaking diverse tasks amidst the challenging and inhospitable conditions of space. Before we venture further into the prospects of tomorrow, let us delve into the present landscape of robotics within the realm of space exploration.

Decoding Space Robotics: Key Differences, Innovations, and Future Exploration

Let's begin by establishing a clear definition of what constitutes a robot.

According to the esteemed Cambridge dictionary, a robot is a computer-controlled machine designed to carry out automated tasks. It operates independently, relying on programmed instructions to execute its functions effectively.

In a broader sense, any spacecraft launched into the depths of space can be classified as a robot, as it operates autonomously to fulfill predetermined objectives.

Dexter two-armed robotic arm by NASA

In this article, we will focus specifically on the realm of robots, excluding spacecraft. We will explore a diverse range of robotic entities, including:

• Planetary rovers, drones, and stations utilized for the exploration of celestial bodies beyond our own.

• Manipulators and mechanical arms engineered to perform intricate operations.

• Humanoid robot avatars, designed to closely resemble human form and functionality.

What sets space robots apart from their terrestrial counterparts? To delve into this intriguing question, we reached out to Shreya Santra, Ph.D., an Assistant Professor at the Space Robotics Laboratory of Tohoku University, Japan. Here's what she had to say:

"Space robots exhibit a remarkable level of intricacy in comparison to their terrestrial counterparts. Several factors contribute to this divergence. Firstly, the presence of low-gravity conditions in space demands the implementation of more complex control principles for these systems. Secondly, space robots are constructed using distinct materials and electronics specifically designed to endure the severe and inhospitable conditions of microgravity, vacuum, extreme temperatures, and radiation. A key distinction is the restrictions on mass and resources in space missions, which make these systems compact, lightweight, and power-efficient. Additionally, when contemplating missions to the Moon and Mars, the complexity further intensifies due to communication delays and extreme terrain, posing additional challenges for the operation of these robots."

Creating robots is a crucial and promising field in space exploration, as they possess the ability to tackle challenges beyond human capabilities or that pose inherent risks.

Human and Robotic Astronauts: A New Era in Space Exploration. Credit: Wired.

For the year 2024, NASA has sought a budget of over $1.5 billion from Congress to advance robotic exploration of the Moon and Mars. This funding encompasses various missions, including $459 million for lunar scientific endeavors, $949 million for the ambitious Mars Sample Return project, and an additional $269 million for further Mars exploration. It is important to note that these figures solely represent the investment allocated for the Moon and Mars, highlighting the vast scope of NASA's commitment to robotic exploration. And that's just the Moon and Mars!

However, several robots are already operating on the ISS: for example, the Dexter two-armed robotic arm attached to the Canadarm2. Dexter can install and replace small equipment, like exterior cameras or the 100-kg batteries used on the Space Station, replace defective components in the Station's electrical system, and test new tools and robotics techniques including some that could enable us to one day service satellites in space. This robot cost $200 million and was developed by the Canadian company MDA - a significant Canadian contribution to ISS development.

The Cost-Effectiveness of Space Robots: A Comparative Analysis with Manned Missions and Future Implications 

It appears that deploying robots to space is significantly more cost-effective and less complicated than sending humans. 

For instance, the renowned Apollo 11 mission, which achieved the first successful manned moon landing, had an estimated cost of around $355 m during that period. At its peak in 1966, NASA's Apollo program accounted for approximately 4.4% of the federal budget, highlighting the significant investment required for manned missions.

In contrast, the Indian moon lander Chandrayaan 2 accomplished its objectives at a total cost of $142 million, a substantially lower expenditure. Interestingly, the recently released blockbuster movie Avengers: Endgame was produced with a massive budget of $356 million.

While humans have not yet set foot on Mars, we have been able to gather valuable data from the planet thanks to robots. Although robots are not capable of completely replacing humans in space exploration, they can assist us in tasks that are beyond our capabilities. For instance:

• repairing satellites (imagine if astronauts moonlighted as repairmen and fixed satellites); 

• cleaning up space debris (an astronaut as a janitor does not seem realistic)

• building bases on other planets (this is just dangerous for humans)

Therefore, it is evident that robots should collaborate with humans, providing support in dangerous situations or where human capabilities fall short.

Hyundai Motor Group Starts Building Lunar Exploration Rover

Certainly, robots have significantly contributed to the exploration of celestial bodies beyond Earth. Lunar rovers and Mars rovers, in particular, have provided us with a wealth of knowledge about these planets. The technologies employed in these planetary vehicles are fascinating and deserve a detailed discussion, which we will delve into in our upcoming articles.

The Commercialization of Space Robotics: Emergence of Private Sector, Market Trends, and Future Opportunities

Certainly, the rise of commercialization in space extends to the realm of robotics. While large state companies were previously the primary builders of robots, we now witness the emergence of private companies and startups taking the lead in robot development.

While there is a growing number of private companies dedicated to developing robots, and contests, the majority of them rely on grants or form partnerships with state-owned companies to sustain their operations.

The European Space Agency signed a contract with ClearSpace to de-orbit part of a Vega rocket. Credit: ClearSpace

We talked with Sergey Gugkaev, Chief Commercial Officer of ClearSpace, and asked for his opinion on the space robotics market. Here's what he thinks: 

“It is a common understanding that we need to master the technologies to service high-value assets (satellites, space stations, rocket bodies, etc) in space as we do it on Earth for aviation, automotive, or maritime. All these technologies and missions are heavily relying on space robotics developments.

In-orbit servicing market shall be significantly growing in the next decade mainly focused on refueling, debris removal, and satellites life extension services to reach roughly 14 billion USD by 2030. Current main developments are mostly funded by institutional players (European Space Agency, NASA, JAXA, etc.) but the retirement of engineering development costs makes in-orbit servicing more and more attractive for private investment community”

Google sponsored the X Prize Foundation's inducement prize space competition, aiming to stimulate affordable access to the moon and provide space entrepreneurs with a legitimate platform to develop sustainable business models for lunar transportation.

Among the competition's finalists was Hakuto, which secured funding for its project (with an investment of $175 million). Unfortunately, Hakuto-R encountered a mishap during its milestone landing attempt in late April 2023, as its onboard altitude sensor became confused by the rim of a lunar crater, resulting in a crash.

Despite the setback, it marked a significant milestone as the first time a private company had successfully reached the surface of another celestial body, showcasing the progress made in private space exploration endeavors.

HAKUTO-R mission

Competitions like Xprize and government contracts, such as NASA's Artemis lunar program, play a significant role in propelling the advancement of robotics in space. As an illustration, Astrobotic Technology  ($215M funding), a prominent player in the field, was recently awarded a substantial contract worth $79.5 million under NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services Program. This contract entails the delivery of 14 NASA payloads to the Moon using their Moon lander and Moon rover.

What's intriguing is that the rovers developed by Astrobotic Technology have the capacity to carry payloads that adhere to the same standards employed for CubeSats, which are small satellites. This signifies an adaptation of CubeSat technology for lunar missions, enabling efficient and streamlined operations in space exploration.

The emergence of such private companies will make it easier, cheaper, and more accessible to deliver cargo to the moon.

Robots mining asteroids in space. Credit: Planetary Resources

One of mankind's exciting ideas is to mine minerals on other celestial bodies. Robots can also solve the task of mining materials from asteroids. Planetary Resources received $50m to develop technologies for mining minerals from asteroids and AstroForge company in  2023 planned to demonstrate refinery capabilities with the goal of validating the technology and performing extractions in zero gravity, as well as sending the satellite into deep space to observe the target asteroid.

Exploring the Role of Robotic Manipulators in Space: Insights from Canadarm2, Lunar Gateway, and Gitai

In addition to landers, and stations on other celestial bodies, when we refer to robots, we are specifically referring to manipulators. A notable example is the Canadarm2 manipulator, which has proven to be a valuable asset on the International Space Station. Its role involved simplifying dockings and moving assets and supporting astronaut spacewalks.

Looking ahead, NASA has plans to construct an international station called the Lunar Gateway in the vicinity of the Moon. In support of this endeavor, MDA has been awarded a $35m design contract for a Canadarm3 manipulator for the Lunar Gateway. Similar to the Canadarm2, the manipulator on the Lunar Gateway will serve the purpose of station maintenance and support in dockings.

Robotic arm by GITAI

Another noteworthy development in this field comes from the Japanese startup Gitai ($50 million funding), which has successfully developed its own robotic arm. Gitai's robotic arm has already been utilized on the ISS. Distinct from the Canadarm2, this smaller manipulator has a reach of 1 meter and can also assist astronauts inside the station.

Navigating Space Docking Challenges with Robots: Case Studies from NASA's OSAM-1 and ClearSpace's Space Debris Removal

Docking maneuvers in space pose complex mathematical challenges, but the involvement of robots has simplified the process not only on space stations but also on satellites. It entails a manipulator grabbing hold of a passive spacecraft, pulling it towards itself for further operations. This type of docking proves crucial for various in-orbit services, including satellite repairs, refueling, refurbishment, and even space debris removal.

NASA is actively developing its OSAM-1 (On-orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing 1) vehicle, which will be equipped with up to three manipulators specifically designed for docking and servicing spacecraft. The OSAM-1 mission aims to enhance the capabilities of on-orbit servicing.

OSAM-1 visualisation by NASA

According to ESA, the estimated number of space objects in 2022 surpassed staggering figures, with 36,500 objects larger than 10cm, 1 million objects ranging between 1-10cm, and an astonishing 130 million objects spanning from 1mm to 1cm. Given their diverse shapes and unpredictable movements, traditional docking methods might not always be feasible. To address this challenge, Clear Space is pioneering technologies to capture space debris using manipulator-equipped spacecraft. 

ClearSpace is a Swiss newspace company (a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne – EPFL) found in 2018 with the goal of addressing the problem of space debris and developing breakthrough technologies for in-orbit servicing. ClearSpace has received a contract from ESA (European Space Agency) for more than 100M EUROs to develop and fly a mission called ClearSpace-1 to remove European space debris in 2026 ESA - ClearSpace-1. The Company also has a UK subsidiary working on a UK Space Agency mission (Phase B) to remove 2 dead UK satellites and demonstrate refueling in orbit.

A robot is clearing space debris, courtesy of ClearSpace.

The Role of Humanoid Robots and AI in Space Missions: Exploring the Past, Present, and Future of Robotic Assistance in Space Exploration

However, when we mention robots, our imagination often conjures up images of androids resembling humans. These humanoid robots are specifically designed to substitute for humans in certain tasks.

In a recent development, Russia deployed the Fedor robot to the International Space Station. Its purpose was to test technologies and receive training from astronauts. However, upon completion of the mission, the project manager acknowledged that the anthropomorphic robot fell short of fulfilling its intended role of replacing human astronauts during lengthy and hazardous spacewalks.

R2D2 and C3PO from Star Wars

This wasn't the first instance of a humanoid robot being sent into space. In 2011, NASA launched Robonaut 2 (R2), a humanoid robot developed in collaboration with General Motors. R2 was designed to operate in high-risk environments and was deployed to the ISS. However, R2 encountered challenges after an attempt to equip it with legs in 2014, leading to intermittent power issues that proved arduous to diagnose. Consequently, NASA brought Robonaut back to Earth for necessary repairs. Simultaneously, NASA is actively working on the development of a Valkyre robot for various agency missions, including potential expeditions to Mars.

The lack of news surrounding achievements of such humanoid robots suggests that specific tasks suitable for their capabilities have yet to be identified or developed.

Currently, the range of tasks that humans are unable to handle is steadily expanding. One pressing issue is the removal of space debris, which is becoming increasingly relevant due to the growing number of satellites in orbit, especially with the introduction of the FCC restriction. Additionally, the maintenance of these satellites is also becoming more crucial as their quantity continues to rise. Artificial intelligence serves as another stimulating factor in this regard. With the advancement of AI, a portion of control and automation tasks will be delegated to it. Consequently, the increased reliance on AI will further expand the range of tasks suitable for robots to undertake.

Robonaut 2 by NASA

Nevertheless, the development of such robots holds significance for future space missions. Establishing a permanent colony on Mars would be an immensely challenging feat for humans alone. Hence, active involvement of robot builders is likely to be crucial in such endeavors.

Technological advancements are constantly evolving, and we have already witnessed various iterations of robots integrating into our daily lives. Robots aid us in factories and assist in emergency situations, especially in remote and inaccessible areas. Moreover, artificial intelligence has become an integral component of our everyday lives, and it will undoubtedly play a prominent role in the future of robotics. At Space Ambition, we envision a future where robots collaborate with humans to tackle complex tasks side by side. We value your thoughts on the future of robots in space, so feel free to share your opinions, especially if you are engaged in space robot development! reach out to us at hello@spaceambition.org. We would be glad to brainstorm ways in which we could assist you.