Robotics is one of the most exciting areas in engineering at the moment. In fact the UK government has announced robotics and autonomous systems (RAS) as one of the eight technologies that will propel the UK to future growth.
The recent capital investment from the UK government through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has resulted in the creation of eight dedicated capital facilities and four centres of doctoral trainings brought together under the EPSRC UK-RAS Network. The Network aims to provide academic leadership in key areas of transport, healthcare, manufacturing, unmanned systems and underpinning technologies to ensure that the UK will maintain its leading engineering and research capacity in RAS.
As part of the IET's work in this area we work closely with the UK-RAS Network and this partnership has got us involved in UK Robotics Week. We are delighted to be organising the finale event for UK Robotics Week on 1 July and really excited that Roberto Vittori, a European Space Agency Astronaut will be speaking.
Roberto's CV is very impressive. After graduating from the Italian Air Force Academy in 1989 with a degree in Aeronautical Science, he completed the US Navy Test Pilot School training and then served at the Italian Test Centre as project pilot for the development of the new European aircraft, the EuroFighter EF2000, until 1998.
In August 1998, he was relocated to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, USA, and entered the 1998 Astronaut class for assignments on the Space Shuttle and International Space Station.
In terms of his space missions in 2002, he participated in a taxi-flight to the International Space Station. This mission served to deliver a new Soyuz spacecraft and emergency escape vessel to the Station.
His second mission to the International Space Station, the Italian Eneide mission took place in April 2005. As Soyuz flight engineer on launch and return, Roberto had an active role in piloting and docking the spacecraft. On the International Space Station, he Roberto performed an intensive programme of experiments.
Roberto’s third mission, on Shuttle STS-134, was an assembly mission to the International Space Station from 16 May to 1 June 2011. His DAMA mission was provided by ASI in agreement with NASA. The Shuttle delivered the Express Logistics Carrier, but the main task was to install the AMS-02 cosmic-ray detector to examine dark matter and the origin of the Universe. Roberto grappled the six-tonne AMS-02 with the Space Shuttle’s robotic arm and moved it to the Station for installation. This was the final flight of Space Shuttle Endeavour.
Watch this video that explains his third mission in more detail.
If you would like to hear from Roberto and his experiences as an astronaut please do attend our event on 1 July in London. You can find out more here.