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The International Space Station. Credit: NASA

A backup computer that controls some systems associated with robotics on the International Space Station is not responding to commands, NASA said in a late-night statement Eastern time Friday (April 11).

The crew is safe, theres no immediate change to space station operations, and because the primary computer is working, theres also no alteration to the SpaceX Dragon launch to the station on Mondaywhich requires the robotic Canadarm2 for berthing. NASA added, however, that there are further evaluations going on, meaning the date could change depending on what controllers figure out.

If the computer does need to be replaced, crew members of Expedition 39 will need to do at least one spacewalk, the agency added. NASA is allowing contingency spacewalks in American spacesuits to go forward as the agency addresses problems raised in a report about a life-threatening spacesuit leak in July.

Below the jump is the statement NASA put out tonight concerning the situation.

The Mission Control team at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houstonconfirmed Friday night that a backup computer on the exterior of theInternational Space Station (ISS) called a Multiplexer-Demultiplexer (MDM)is not responding to commands. The stations MDM computers control some systems associated with robotics aboard the space station.

The primary MDM operating aboard thespace station is functioning normally and there is no immediate impact tospace station operations. The computer outage does not pose a risk to thesix crew members aboard the space station. ISS teams are assessing next steps toattempt to bring the computer back online or replace it.

Replacingthe backup MDM, if needed, would require a spacewalk. The backup MDM would provide redundancy for robotic systemsthat will be needed to attach the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft currentlyscheduled to launch on Monday and rendezvous with the ISS on Wednesday.NASA is continuing to work toward a Monday launch of the SpaceX cargoresupply mission pending further evaluations by the ISS Program. Thelatest information will be available here atwww.nasa.gov/station.

We will keep you apprised as the situation progresses.

See more here:
Backup Computer Glitches On Space Station But Crew Safe, NASA Says

WASHINGTON, April 11 (UPI) -- Robonaut 2, NASA's robotic astronaut torso, floats about the International Space Station without any legs. But that's about to change, thanks to NASA engineers.

NASA scientists have built R2 a set of high-tech, 9-foot-long legs. The legs are more like big long sloth arms than human legs -- ultra long and flexible with seven joints. Instead of feet, the legs are outfitted with "end effector," which will lock in, via sockets, to tools and handrails.

"The new legs are designed for work both inside and outside the station, but upgrades to R2's upper body will be necessary before it can begin work outside the space station," NASA officials said in a news statement.

R2's new legs will ship up to the space station on Monday, April 14, aboard SpaceX's unmanned Dragon capsule.

SpaceX is the private space launch company founded by PayPal entrepreneur and Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk. The outfit has already completed three separate mission resupply missions to the space station. Dragon will take off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

NASA says some of the technologies that helped engineers craft R2's new legs could prove useful on Earth. Scientists are currently working on a robotic exoskeleton that could aid people with physical disabilities.

[NASA] [Christian Science Monitor]

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NASA to send International Space Station android a pair of legs

NASA has built a pair of legs for Robonaut 2, a robotic torso currently orbiting Earth aboard the International Space Station.

A robotic humanoid astronaut on the International Space Station is about to get its legs.

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NASA has crafted a pair of space legs forRobonaut 2, its robotic astronaut torso on the space station now. The legs will fly to space aboard SpaceX's unmanned Dragon capsule, set to launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Monday (April 14).

Once installed, the legs will give Robonaut 2 which is currently attached to a support post on the orbiting outpost an extended leg span of 9 feet (2.7 meters), according to NASA. The legs are expected to allow Robonaut 2 (R2 for short) the flexibility to move about the station. Eventually, NASA officials hope that R2 will be able to perform repetitive tasks inside and outside the space laboratory, allowing astronauts to focus on more complex work. [See more photos of Robonaut 2 on Earth and in space]

"The new legs are designed for work both inside and outside the station, but upgrades to R2's upper body will be necessary before it can begin work outside the space station," NASA officials said in a statement released in March.

R2's legs are not like a human's lower limbs. The legs each have seven joints and in place of feet, the robot will have an "end effector" attached to the end of each leg, NASA officials said. The end effector allows R2 to use sockets and handrails inside and outside the station, and the two devices also come equipped with vision tools that controllers can use to visualize and automate the movements of the legs, NASA added.

Robonaut 2 has been onboard the space station since February 2011, and since that time, it has performed a variety of tasks to show its usefulness in microgravity. The $2.5 million humanoid robot can flip switches, press buttons and turn nobs.

"In preparation for future spacewalks, R2 has worked inside the space station with space blankets and other flexible materials, both through ground control and through teleoperation by the on-board crew," NASA officials added.

The rest is here:
Space station android to get legs, says NASA