A match made in low-Earth orbit 💕
The free-floating helpers of the International Space Station (@ISS) are pictured here during their first photoshoot in space after more than two years of working separately aboard the station. Astrobee and Project CIMON (Crew Interactive Mobile CompanioN) come from different countries and have unique functions, but share a mission to assist astronauts, support station operation, and enable research that will take humans to the Moon and Mars. Bumble, pictured in blue, is one of three identical robots that make up Team Astrobee, each differentiated by the colors on their shells. Designed and bulit by @NASAAmes, the Astrobees operate autonomously or via remote control by operators on the ground to perform tasks such as taking inventory or monitoring the environment aboard the station. Bumble was first launched to the station in 2019 with Honey (yellow Astrobee), and Queen (green) joined the crew later that year. Project CIMON, which was commissioned by the @GermanAeroSpaceCenter, is a voice-controlled robot is designed to act as a hands-free database, computer, and camera to support research. The teams behind Project CIMON also hope to study the platform’s potential to help reduce astronaut stress associated with isolation or group dynamics by providing social assistance. The Project CIMON free flyer launched to the space station in June 2018. Credit: NASA/Kayla Barron #NASA#Space#Robots#InternationalSpaceStation#ISS#Astrobee#ProjectCIMON#Bots