Tethers Unlimited (TUI) will develop a collaborative robotics platform for use aboard the International Space Station with the assistance of NASA funding.
The space agency has selected the company’s AstroPorter proposal for funding under its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I program. The contract is worth up to $125,000 over 13 months.
‘TUI will develop an AstroPorter payload for Astrobee to perform collaborative robotics tasks with TUI’s MANTIS – an EXPRESS Rack payload with a robotic arm for telerobotic operation of experiments on the ISS,” the proposal summary states. “AstroPorter will interface with Astrobee through the dedicated payload bay and function as a platform for transporting equipment and other stowed material around the ISS.”