Robot builds structure in space without astronauts for first time

By Dean Murray A robot has built a structure in space for the first time, a milestone that could lead to constructing large-scale space systems. kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 C@3@E:4 ECFDD 3F:=56C H@C<65 E@ 4@?DECF4E 2 `]c\>6E6C\5:2>6E6C C67=64E@C 2?E6??2 H:E9@FE E96 96=A @7 2DEC@?2FED]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9QmxE 4@F=5 6?23=6 =2C86\D42=6 DECF4EFC6D[ DF49 2D 9F86 C67=64E@C DFC7246D[ E@ 36 3F:=E :? DA246[ 23=6 E@ 92CG6DE D@=2C A@H6C 2?5 H:C6=6DD=J EC2?D>:E :E E@ t2CE9’D DFC7246]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 C@3@E H2D 4@?46:G65[ 56D:8?65 2?5 3F:=E 3J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]42=E649]65F^Qmr2=E649k^2m C6D62C496CD 2?5 7F?565 3J E96 &]$] s6A2CE>6?E @7 (2C’D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]52CA2]>:=^Qms676?D6 p5G2?465 #6D62C49 !C@;64ED p86?4Jk^2m Wsp#!pX]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 ECFDD 3F:=56C[ A2CE @7 sp#!p’D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]52CA2]>:=^?6HD^a_ae^?@>c5\AC@8C2>\56>@?DEC2E6D\2FE@>2E65\:?\DA246\2DD6>3=JQm}@G6= ~C3:E2= 2?5 |@@? |2?F724EFC:?8[ |2E6C:2=D[ 2?5 |2DD\677:4:6?E s6D:8?k^2m W}~|csX AC@8C2>[ 4@?D:DED @7 2? 2FE@?@>@FD >2?:AF=2E@C E92E A:43=6 :56?E:42= D64E:@?D[ @C 32JD[ @7 2 A6C:>6E6C ECFDD]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm“%9:D :D E96 7:CDE E:>6 E92E 2 DECF4EFC6 92D 366? 2FE@?@>@FD=J 4@?DECF4E65 :? DA246[” D2JD $6C8:@ !6==68C:?@[ E62> =6256C @7 r2=E649’D pFE@?@>@FD x?\$A246 %6?D:@?65 #67=64E@C pDD6>3=J Wp$%#pX 56>@?DEC2E:@?]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmp$%#p :D 2 C@3@E:4 3F:=56C E92E 92D DA6?E E96 =2DE D:I >@?E9D :? DA246[ H@C<:?8 E@ 4@?DECF4E E96 C67=64E@C 2?E6??2 7C@> 4@>A@D:E6 7:36C EF36D[ 2=F>:?F> ;@:?ED 2?5 2 z2AE@? C67=64E:G6 DFC7246]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmr2=E649 D2:5i “p44@C5:?8 E@ sp#!p[ E96 2FE@?@>@FD C@3@E:4 2DD6>3=J :D 2<:? E@ A:64:?8 E@86E96C 2 9:89\E649 z’}6I @C %:?<6CE@J DECF4EFC6] qFE E96 AC@46DD @7 2FE@>2E:?8 E96 3F:=5 :? DA246 :D ?@E9:?8 =:<6 49:=5’D A=2J]”k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 DA246 56>@?DEC2E:@? :D E96 E9:C5 A92D6 @7 E96 sp#!p AC@;64E] x? E96 7:CDE EH@ A92D6D[ E96 p$%#p E62> 56G6=@A65 E96 4@?46AE 2?5 56D:8? >6E9@5@=@8J 2?5 E96? D9@H65 E92E E96 4@?46AE H@C<65 :? =23@C2E@CJ D6EE:?8D @? t2CE9]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm%96 DA246 A2J=@25 H2D 4@>A=6E65[ E6DE65 2?5 56=:G6C65 E@ E96 A2J=@25 9@DE[ |@>6?EFD x?4][ :? =6DD E92? `a >@?E9D]k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm“s6G6=@A:?8 2 A2J=@25 @7 E9:D 4@>A=6I:EJ @? DF49 2 D9@CE E:>6=:?6 H2D 2? 6?@C>@FD F?56CE2<:?8 7@C @FC D>2== E62>[” D2JD !6==68C:?@[ H9@ :D 2=D@ 4@\5:C64E@C @7 E96 $A246 $@=2C !@H6C !C@;64E[ H9:49 2:>D E@ 92CG6DE D@=2C A@H6C :? DA246 2?5 H:C6=6DD=J EC2?D>:E :E E@ t2CE9’D DFC7246] “pD H6 HC2A FA E96 >:DD:@?[ H6 2C6 7:?2==J 23=6 E@ DE2CE E9:?<:?8 23@FE E96 ?6H 2G6?F6D @7 C6D62C49 @A6?65 3J E9:D 56>@?DEC2E:@?]”k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qmr2=E649 D2:5i “$4:6?E:DED H@F=5 =@G6 E96 23:=:EJ E@ 56A=@J =2C86\D42=6 DECF4EFC6D DF49 2D C67=64E@C DFC7246D :? DA246] %96D6 4@F=5 36 FD65 2D 6?@C>@FD >:CC@CD 7@C A@H6C7F= DA246 E6=6D4@A6D[ 2==@H:?8 2DEC@?@>6CD E@ @3D6CG6 6G6C >@C6 5:DE2?E @3;64EDj 2=E6C?2E:G6=J[ E96D6 DECF4EFC6D 4@F=5 7@C> E96 2A6CEFC6 @7 =2C86 C25:@ 7C6BF6?4J 2?E6??2D]”k^Am kA 4=2DDlQHA\3=@4<\A2C28C2A9Qm“~?46 J@F 86E E@ E96 D:K6 =:>:E H96C6 DECF4EFC6D 42??@E 36 AC63F:=E @? E96 8C@F?5 2?5 F?7@=565[ J@F 92G6 E@ E9:?< 23@FE 9@H E@ 3F:=5 E96> :? DA246[” !6==68C:?@ D2JD] “$@[ E9:D H@C< 4@F=5 36 FD67F= ?@E @?=J 7@C 2DEC@?@>J 2?5 2DEC@A9JD:4D 3FE 2=D@ 7@C 4@>>F?:42E:@?D 2?5 @E96C 2C62D[ DF49 2D 3F:=5:?8 G6CJ =2C86 D@=2C 2CC2JD 7@C DA246 D@=2C A@H6C]”k^Am