Humanoid robot headed to space

Packed into Space Shuttle Discovery's cargo bay, Robonaut 2 will become the first humanoid robot in space as it heads with the shuttle to the International Space Station. The R2 is an improvement on its predecessor and NASA says that it's capable of speeds more than four times faster than R1. The $2.5 million space bot is going to be used to carry out support roles for the crew. The hope is that a future model will be able to help spacewalking astronauts outside the space station as well. One day, perhaps.

R2, which was the creation of a joint NASA-General Motors project, is 3 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs approximately 330 pounds.

There are currently four Robonauts. Others are currently in development."This project exemplifies the promise that a future generation of robots can have both in space and on Earth, not as replacements for humans but as companions that can carry out key supporting roles," says John Olson, director of NASA's Exploration Systems Integration office.

R2 is constructed of aluminum and steel. The five cameras built into its head also give it the ability to view images in depth.

Nice shades, pal.

Robonaut 2 deploys its vision system to autonomously open the switch cover. This switch is a part of the task board that R2 will use on the International Space Station. The task board allows engineers to test the robot's capabilities in low earth orbit.

Packed and ready for lift-off.

R2 can carry about 20 pounds with each arm.

It's a buff robot, no doubt.

Not today, not tomorrow, but someday, NASA envisions the Robonaut being able to operate a wheeled rover to explore the surface of the moon or another planet.

In training with a mockup of the space station, the Robonaut demonstrates how it will be able to secure itself for work during a spacewalk.

Even before lifting off into space, the Robonaut was tweeting at www.twitter.com/AstroRobonaut.