Justin the space robot could be the solution for space repairs

Berlin - Similar to NASA's Robonaut, Justin the space robot, part of research by the Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics at DLR, the German Aerospace Center, could be the wave of the future for outer space mechanical repairs of satellites in orbit.

In April, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced that it will launch the first human-like robot to space by the end of the year to be part of the International Space Station (ISS). Robonaut was engineered by NASA and General Motors to assist astronauts in mechanical repairs or even to help employees at GM assembly plants. Justin the space robot has been described as “clever” and “agile” and could be the best solution for the repairs of orbital satellites and spaceships, according to Fast Company. Justin would be wired to a human for control and would be boarded on his own satellite in order to easily track down other satellites to either fix them or break them down and let it burn in the Earth’s atmosphere. NASA’s Robonaut and Justin have some similarities but also quite a number of differences. For example, the Robonaut is intended for ISS missions but Justin will be used to take other satellites out of orbit if they’re dead. DLR also sees, in the future, Justin being self-controlled. Australia Gizmodo reports that the purpose of Justin is to extend the lifespan of many satellites in orbit and to maintain other satellites that would otherwise be ignored by humans on Earth and in space. In the post-space shuttle period, Justin would clean up space debris to clear way for space lanes without risk to any human life.