Navy to Launch Space Robots

Space robots will be launched into orbit this summer by a team of junior Navy officers in a test that has the opportunity to bring significant change to how the Department of Defense (DoD) operates assets in space. U.S. Navy Ensign Edward 'Ned' Hanlon has developed a way to efficiently deploy robotic CubeSats into space to tend to ailing spacecraft. His Autonomous Mobile On-orbit Diagnostic System (AMODS) piggybacks grapefruit-sized robots in rocket payloads that can then investigate malfunctions, conduct repairs or perform maintenance on satellites. The program is very cost effective. AMODS will be in orbit for a year before burning up on re-entry into the earth's atmosphere.

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