Measuring 188 centimeters and weighing 136 kilograms, the female humanoid robot (Valkyrie) developed by the American National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is a model to be respected. NASA stated that Valkyrie, named after a character in Norse mythology and currently being tested at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, is designed to operate in degraded or damaged environments such as areas hit by natural disasters. However, robots like it may one day also work in space.
A humanoid robot resembles a human and typically has a trunk, a head, two arms, and two legs. Engineers believe that humanoid robots will eventually be able, with the right programming, to work like humans and use the same tools and equipment. According to Shawn Azimi, the lead for NASA’s dexterous robotics team, humanoid robots in space could take on dangerous tasks such as cleaning solar panels or inspecting malfunctioning equipment outside spacecraft, allowing astronauts to focus on exploration and discoveries. Azimi added, "We are not trying to replace human crews, but we are actually trying to take them away from monotonous, dirty, and dangerous work so they can focus on higher-level activities." NASA is collaborating with robotics companies such as Aptivonic in Austin, Texas, to understand how humanoid robots heading to space in the future can benefit from those developed for work on Earth.
