Space ROS: A Modular Framework for Cost-Effective, Reusable Space Robotics Systems

The Space Robot Operating System (Space ROS) is a transformative software framework for accelerating the development and deployment of complex, scalable, and modular space robotics systems. It provides common software infrastructure enabling interoperability between diverse robot hardware components and software systems, from individual components to fully autonomous robots interfacing with spacecraft systems. This approach promises to significantly reduce development cycles and implementation costs, paralleling how standardized robot operating systems like ROS 2 catalyzed terrestrial robotics. In Phase I PickNik demonstrated Space ROS feasibility through migration of a complex terrestrial ROS-based system to Space ROS. The implementation successfully integrated multiple system elements, including NASA's core Flight Software (cFS) and the RACS2 (RACS2 = ROS2 and cFS System) bridge developed by JAXA. Phase I validation utilized and expanded existing automated testing protocols to establish functional equivalence between Space ROS and its terrestrial ROS counterpart. This Phase II effort will validate Space ROS through three key objectives: (1) high fidelity recreation of a previous satellite mission, (2) evaluation and documentation of this mission rebuild, and most importantly (3) a flight demonstration via a commercial payload provider. This approach addresses critical aspects of space robotics software development while establishing foundational patterns for future mission deployment. The culminating flight test will demonstrate Space ROS’s capability to manage critical spacecraft functions and provide the critical flight heritage to encourage future Space ROS adoption. Our software platform, MoveIt Pro, is the primary way to monetize our work on Space ROS, and Space ROS is key to elevating the TRL and utility of MoveIt Pro for space. MoveIt Pro serves automation and robotic needs in the emerging areas of CLD, ISAM/SAML, ADR, lunar and planetary missions.

The Artemis program’s mission to return to the Moon and establish a long-term presence includes the need for a wide array of robotic systems that will benefit from the software interoperability that Space ROS will provide. Construction and maintenance of the Artemis Base Camp requires extensive labor, and robots will be required to perform lunar tasks to assist astronauts. One major need will be In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), to allow NASA missions to go further and achieve more because it won’t be necessary to bring everything from Earth’s gravity well. Successful ISRU will assist astronauts in extracting, transporting, loading, unloading, and processing resources in lunar and planetary environments. Once Space ROS has flight heritage and has been established as certifiable software, it will be possible to apply it to any number of applications for Moon to Mars missions, and beyond. These additional use cases include communicating from a central system to a number of low powered IoT devices in the field potentially running an embedded variant of ROS. Low-power distributed systems could be used to collect data from environmental sensors in human habitats and on the lunar or martian surface to inform robotic ISRU and habitation caretaking actions. Space ROS will enable both more robots to be built for less money, but also the ability for sustained collaborative operations in space environments. PickNik has been in regular communication with all of the key stakeholders in the development of Space ROS, including NASA Ames Research Center, NASA Johnson Space Center, Open Robotics, and Blue Origin. Under a contract with Blue Origin in 2021, PickNik developed a concept of operations for flight certification of MoveIt3, the widely used robotic arm motion planning and manipulation framework PickNik and other industry contributors built on top of ROS. Since then, PickNik has been organizing a volunteer group of contributors to the Space ROS project, and spreading awareness of the program through conference talks, online community meetings, and a shared Slack channel for technical collaboration. Space ROS can help create an ecosystem of robotic parts and subsystems like space-hardened sensors, motors, and computing units that come pre-configured. This will be a big step into a self-sustaining commercial ecosystem that works collaboratively with NASA and the other space agencies, but does not require continued government funding. Companies like PickNik are already helping build this ecosystem with their modular, flight ready software MoveIt Pro Space designed to bring AI to space robotic manipulators for both groups like NASA and commercial space companies like Motiv Space Systems and Arka (both current customers of PickNik). Once such an ecosystem is in place, the time to develop a robotic space mission will be condensed by assembling as many off-the-self, space-rated parts as are available. Commercial robotics teams will have much more time to focus on specialized use, fine tuning for custom tasks, conducting science, building infrastructure, and adding flexibility and redundancy to the system.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.