One small step for a robot

November 5, 2010 6:11 PM

One small step for a robot, one giant leap for robot-kind... but not yet. The Robonaut R2 (sic) will have to wait at least another three weeks, as the final mission of Space Shuttle Discovery is delayed.
posted by philipy (13 comments total)

Tell me about it. I'm stuck here on the Space Coast in a Cocoa Beach Motel 6 totally bored out of my mind and feeling like I just wasted a week of my life. Because I did. BUT, I'll be back in February for STS-134. Like some kind of astronaut icecream crackhead..
posted by hanoixan at 6:25 PM on November 5, 2010 [2 favorites]

I'll be back in February for STS-134

Part of me is thinking: "Ooh STS-134... Feb... wonder if I could make it..."

Well there aren't going to be so many more opportunities.
posted by philipy at 6:39 PM on November 5, 2010

for the first time I am speechless
posted by clavdivs at 6:42 PM on November 5, 2010

Oh thank fuck. I was so pissed off to be missing it with all the delays this week.

HAPPY DANCING TIEMS
posted by elizardbits at 6:47 PM on November 5, 2010

Actually, I'm really sorry I derailed the point of philipy's post. R2 is amazing, and I think it's a great precedent for making work in space safer. I hope the delayed launch goes off without a hitch in a few weeks so they can put it to work.
posted by hanoixan at 7:08 PM on November 5, 2010

contourman: Is the leg going to by like a 3rd arm? Coz the would be badass.
P.S. the music sucks in the video.

@contourman It's very likely that the leg will be very similar to a 3rd arm.
I'll work on the music for the next video.
NASAJSCER 6 months ago

Oh, Youtube, don't ever change.
posted by vorfeed at 7:34 PM on November 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

hanoixan, I feel your pain (flying home now after a week of waiting around in an empty Orlando resort).

But the next scheduled launch time for STS-133 is Nov 30 at 4:05 am. You know what that means--night launch!
posted by jjwiseman at 8:25 PM on November 5, 2010

NO, no, wait it just smells like a really well produced satire. Am I missing something, the url looks straight, could NASA let a gag like that run?
posted by sammyo at 8:59 PM on November 5, 2010

Kind of wussy looking given that it's a SPACE ROBOT.


<sub>NO, no, wait it just smells like a really well produced satire.

No, it's not.</sub>
posted by delmoi at 9:16 PM on November 5, 2010

Isn't the music the the same stuff used in BMW commercials.
posted by delmoi at 9:21 PM on November 5, 2010

I'm going to miss shuttle launches when they're gone. You can see them in Miami, and they make such a brilliant path against the sky.

They're beautiful to watch and I'll miss what they represent -- an investment in discovery, exploration, wonderment, and science.
posted by JustKeepSwimming at 9:28 PM on November 5, 2010 [2 favorites]

When I hear that we're replacing the Shuttle with the what is essentially a slightly modernized Apollo capsule, I feel like we're living in an Asimov novel. And we're not the Foundation.
posted by wuwei at 12:55 AM on November 6, 2010

LeVar Burton is offering his assistance.
posted by Effigy2000 at 6:06 AM on November 6, 2010 [1 favorite]