Robot R2 Meets Shuttle Discovery at the Smithsonian
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Chantilly, USAMon Oct 28 2024
Have you ever wondered what happens to space robots once their space mission is over? Well, NASA's Robonaut-2, or R2 for short, found a new home at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Virginia. This humanoid robot, which looks like it's straight out of a sci-fi movie, was last seen riding the space shuttle Discovery back in 2011. Now, it's standing next to the same space shuttle at the museum, but instead of helping astronauts, it's wowing visitors with its shiny, reflective visor. R2 was designed to do tasks like press buttons and flip switches on the International Space Station. But after some upgrades caused problems, NASA decided to ground the robot. Now, it's fully repaired and on display, but don't expect to see it doing any tasks – it's just there to pose for selfies! The museum loaned R2 from NASA, and who knows, maybe one day it'll return to space. But for now, it's a star attraction at the museum, proving that space adventures aren't just for humans.
https://localnews.ai/article/robot-r2-meets-shuttle-discovery-at-the-smithsonian-f6a58e84
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questions
Who would win in a robot dance-off: Robonaut-2 or a Roomba?
How does the display of Robonaut-2 at the Smithsonian influence public perception of space exploration?
What challenges did Robonaut-2 face during its development in space?
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