FEDOR

Aug. 24, 2019

Russia launched an unmanned rocket carrying life-sized robot to the International Space Station (ISS) from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

About: 

  • The robot, named Fedor – short for Final Experimental Demonstration Object Research – is the first ever sent into space by Russia. Fedor is also known as Skybot F850.

  • In order to test a new emergency rescue system, the robot was the Soyuz rocket's only passenger.

  • During its 10 days at the ISS, Fedor will learn new skills such as connecting and disconnecting electric cables, using standard items from a screwdriver and a spanner to a fire extinguisher.

  • Fedor copies human movements, a key skill that allows it to remotely help astronauts or even people on Earth to carry out tasks while the humans are strapped into an exoskeleton. Such robots will eventually carry out dangerous operations such as space walks.

Source : The Hindu