Credit: NASA

2020-09-11

It is shaping up to be a busy autumn for Dextre, Canada's multitalented robot on board the International Space Station ( ISS ).

In mid-September, robotics flight controllers will use the high-flying robot to continue the search for a small ammonia leak on the exterior of the ISS . Dextre will be outfitted with two Robotic External Leak Locators over two days of scanning operations. The pair of " noses " was installed on the Canadian Mobile Base System during a July 2020 spacewalk, making them more easily accessible to the robotic ace.

Dextre will shift gears later in the season, turning to other specialized tools to demonstrate cryogenic refueling, a key ability that could help make space exploration more sustainable by extending the useful lifetimes of satellites and spacecraft.

As part of NASA's Robotic Refueling Mission 3, robotics flight controllers at Canadian Space Agency headquarters and NASA's Johnson Space Center will use Dextre to grasp and insert a fuel hose and perform a mock transfer of cryogenic fluids. These extremely cold liquids – such as methane or hydrogen – can be used as coolant or fuel.