Orbital Robotics to send robotic arms to ISS in 2027

Seattle startup Orbital Robotics will send a pair of autonomous robotic arms to the International Space Station in Q3 2027 to demonstrate satellite capture and servicing. The arms will be mounted on an Astrobee robot, which will capture a second Astrobee and replace its compute module.

• Launch of the arms to the ISS is planned for Q3 2027
• The program includes three demonstrations about a month apart
• The arms are scaled-down versions of the ORA-A arm built in Seattle
• The demo is internally funded with Arkisys as implementation partner