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Applications outside the Earth' s atmosphere are clearly a good fit for robots. It is dangerous for humans to get to space, to be in space and to return from space. Keeping robots operating reliably in space presents some unique challenges to engineers.(1)____ The ultra-high vacuum in space prevents the use from moat types of lubricants.(2)____ The temperatures can swing wildly depending on whether the robot is in the sun light or shade. But, of course. there is almost no gravity.(3)____ This is actually more of an opportunity than a challenge and leads to the possibility of some unique designs. The conceptual robot has 21 independent joints. On earth it would be possible for this robot to support its own weight, but in space. the design presents some unique capabilities.(4)____ The robot can reach around obstacles and through out port holes.(5)____ The robot also possesses a huge degree of fault tolerance. It can continue to operate with excellent dexterity even after several joints fail.
NASA decided to develop a $288-million Blight Telerobotics Servicer (FTS) in 1987 to help astronauts assemble the Space Station, which was growing bigger and complex with each redesign.(6)____ Shown here is the winning robot design by May Marietta who received a $297-million contract in May 1989 to develop a vehicle by 1993. About the best thing which can be said for the FTS project was that it generated a lot of lessons leamed.(7)____ The robot never never and never will because it was never completed.(8)____ This project demonstrated that fault tolerance gone wildly will doom a robot.(9)____ The robot had so many redundant systems that there was just so much to go wrong.(10)____
