Space Robots to the Rescue! How NASA Will Service Aging Satellites

The Raven payload, before its integration on the International Space Station in February

2017. Credit: Image courtesy of NASA/Chris Gunn Uncrewed satellites orbiting Earth and other planets in the solar system travel at thousands of miles per hour, their missions spanning years or even decades. They were built to last on their own, but how might space agencies service them if parts break down, or if they run low on fuel? That's where space robots come in, according to panelists speaking at Future Con, a convention held in Washington, D.C., from June 16-18, where talks and exhibits explored the intersection of cutting-edge science with science fiction and popular culture. At a June 18 panel "Robots in Space," NASA scientists explained how engineers are designing robots to perform a seemingly impossible precision task in space — refueling satellites that are traveling at thousands of miles per hour. [10 Crazy New Skills That Robots Picked Up in 2016]