A small, toaster-sized Astrobee robot is helping astronauts with work aboard the International Space Station. The free-flying assistant appears in a photograph taken by NASA astronaut and Crew-13 commander Jessica Watkins in the station’s Kibo laboratory.
NASA developed Astrobee to support astronauts with tasks including testing technologies in microgravity and helping teams on Earth observe activity inside the station. The robots can also assist with routine chores.
The first two Astrobee units, named Bumble and Honey, arrived at the station in 2019. A third, Queen, joined later that year. Their compact design and ability to fly autonomously make them mobile assistants inside the orbiting laboratory.
Sources: Space.com.