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Deployment

Astrobee at International Space Station

Three cube-shaped free-flying robots that navigate the ISS interior autonomously via vision-based navigation and fan propulsion (Bumble, Honey, Queen).

Astrobee by NASA Ames Research Center · Catalog entry · 4 sources · not yet field-verified

Track Astrobee at International Space Station

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Machine-readable surfaces

NASA free-flying robotic assistants aboard ISS since 2019. Three robots: Bumble, Honey, Queen. Operate autonomously or via remote control in microgravity. cameras and sensors for crew monitoring, sample collection, and logistics. NASA issued Announcement for Partnership Proposal March 2025 to transition to commercial stewardship. Arkisys selected September 2025 via unfunded Space Act Agreement. Astrobee officially activated operational status under Arkisys January 21 2026. Resumed service supporting current users and new experiments. New research campaigns beginning 2026.

Key facts

Operator
NASA (ISS)
Status
Three free-flying cube robots operating aboard the ISS since 2019; autonomous vision-based navigation; inventory, inspection and environmental monitoring

Safety record

No incidents on record for Astrobee at International Space Station.

Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.

Trust tier
Catalog entry · 4 sources · not yet field-verifiedhow tiers work →
Last updated
2026-07-10
Model
Astrobee
Company
NASA Ames Research Center
Location
International Space Station
Status
operational
Operator type
customer deployed
First seen
2019-04-01
ID
4c02ee16-89c8-4d93-86ac-c0fb9ee25732

Timeline

  1. Apr 2019
    First recorded
    Astrobee first documented operating at International Space Station.
  2. Apr 2019
    created
  3. Jun 2026
    field updated
    sources: source added → NASA: Astrobee
  4. Jun 2026
    field updated
    sources: source added → EE Journal: Arkisys announces the return of NASA's Astrobee
  5. Jul 2026
    Current status: operational, reviewed
    Latest recorded state. New status transitions append here as the deployment-status recorder produces them.

On the deployment map

Astrobee operates in International Space Station. Explore the full verified map:

Sources (4)

  1. https://www.nasa.gov/technology/robotics/nasa-seeks-input-for-astrobee-free-flying-space-robots/
  2. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/20240012458
  3. https://www.nasa.gov/astrobee/
  4. https://www.eejournal.com/industry_news/arkisys-announces-the-return-of-nasas-astrobee/
Methodology: Verified · 4 sources (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-07-10

Verification posture

Verified

Low confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-07-10

Maturity + lifecycle

Maturity stage: production

Lifecycle: active

Architectural position

Cohort: space

Sources by quality tier

4
unclassified
Unclassified source

The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.

Methodology surface for Astrobee at International Space Station.

Common questions

What is the Astrobee deployment at International Space Station?
Astrobee, built by NASA Ames Research Center, is recorded as a deployment at International Space Station on the DEPLOY registry. NASA Ames Research Center operates the deployment directly.
Who operates Astrobee at International Space Station?
NASA Ames Research Center, the manufacturer of Astrobee, operates this deployment directly. This is a maker-deploys-its-own-product arrangement rather than a customer pilot.
When did the Astrobee deployment at International Space Station go live?
The deployment is recorded as starting April 1, 2019 on the DEPLOY registry. Earlier activity may exist but is not yet sourced.
Have there been incidents at the Astrobee deployment at International Space Station?
No active incidents affecting this deployment are recorded on the DEPLOY registry. Absence of recorded incidents is not a guarantee no incident occurred; DEPLOY records only sourced incidents and suppresses retracted ones.

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