Spider robots help build ships right on the universe

A company in the United States has developed a robot spider system that can build solar panels and other parts of the spacecraft in orbit.

Robot spider builds spacecraft in orbit

Tethers Unlimited is cooperating with the US Space Agency (NASA) in the development of a new robot system called SpiderFab . Future robot systems can significantly reduce the cost of building spacecraft by allowing the final construction to take place on Earth orbit.

Robot spider devices can build large support structures for solar cell systems and spacecraft antennas on Earth orbit.

The new system uses spider-like robots to build large objects in Earth orbit or further in the Solar System. This process will allow space systems to be launched in a compressed state.

' When flying into orbit, these systems will use automated assembly technology to build and assemble components such as antennas, protection layers, cranes, concentrates and optics. The initial benefit of this orbiting assembly would be to improve packaging efficiency and system volume. This allows NASA to use small, low-cost launchers to deploy larger systems today , 'Tethers Unlimited said.

Tethers Unlimited hopes to launch the first built robot robot into space in the next few years.

' In a perfect world, if investment capital is circulated and cooperation is unimpeded, we think it is possible to build huge support structures for antennas and solar panels as well as cities. another part in the early 2020s , 'said Dr. Robert Hoyt, founder of Tethers Unlimited.

Under a contract with NASA, Tethers Unlimited is currently implementing the first step of the SpiderFab architecture. It is a machine that uses 3D printing techniques and automatic assembly to assemble long frame structures and high performance. This device allows the construction of large support structures for systems such as hundreds of kW solar panels and large antennas with football fields.