Robot model
Astrobee
Three cube-shaped free-flying robots that navigate the ISS interior autonomously via vision-based navigation and fan propulsion (Bumble, Honey, Queen).
- Manufacturer
- NASA Ames Research Center
- Form factor
- space
- Maturity
- production
- Lifecycle
- active
- Deployments
- 2
Deploy Watch
Track Astrobee on Deploy.
We notify you when a verified state change lands on the record, not when the company issues a claim.
Key facts
Robot
Focus
Product
Division
Specs
Role
Autonomy
Height cm
Weight kg
To scale
Data & sources
Web sources
3
3 sources backing this record.View all →
Pricing
No verified price is on record for Astrobee. Physical-AI systems are often sold through enterprise contracts or operated as a service rather than at a public list price.
Deployments (2)
Three Astrobee robots (Bumble, Honey, Queen) deployed aboard the International Space Station since 2019.
- Astrobee at International Space Stationoperational
NASA free-flying robotic assistants aboard ISS since 2019.
Astrobee on the deployment map
Where Astrobee is verified operating. Explore the deployment map by place and type.
Recent activity
Every change to this record is dated, sourced, and independently verified where marked.
- Verified media addedVerifiedJun 11, 2026
NASA's Astrobee Robot First Free Flight in Space
- Verified media addedVerifiedJun 7, 2026
Astrobee: ISS Robotic Free Flyer
- Record createdJun 5, 2026
Added to the verified registry
- Deployment verifiedVerifiedApr 19, 2019
at International Space Station, Earth Orbit
- Deployment verifiedVerifiedApr 1, 2019
at International Space Station
Safety record
No incidents on record for Astrobee.
Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.
Sources (3)
Common questions
- What is Astrobee?
- Three cube-shaped free-flying robots that navigate the ISS interior autonomously via vision-based navigation and fan propulsion (Bumble, Honey, Queen).
- How much does Astrobee cost?
- Astrobee's price is not publicly disclosed. DEPLOY has no verified price on record for Astrobee from NASA Ames Research Center. Physical-AI systems like this are often sold through enterprise contracts or operated as a service rather than at a public list price; check the manufacturer for the latest.
- Is Astrobee actually deployed in the real world?
- Yes. Astrobee is independently verified in real-world operation on the DEPLOY registry, confirmed at named deployment sites with primary sources: not a concept, render, or demo-only.
- What are the specs of Astrobee?
- Astrobee's recorded specifications on the DEPLOY registry: Height: 30.5 cm; Weight: 6 kg. See the Specs section for the full sourced set.
- Who makes Astrobee?
- Astrobee is made by NASA Ames Research Center, based in Mountain View, California, USA, founded in 1939.
- Where is Astrobee deployed?
- 2 verified deployments of Astrobee are on the DEPLOY registry, including at International Space Station, Earth Orbit, International Space Station.
- Can you buy Astrobee?
- Astrobee is in commercial deployment and is sold to operators; contact the manufacturer to buy, and see the pricing section for any recorded price.
- What are alternatives to Astrobee?
- On the DEPLOY registry, comparable space robots to Astrobee include Chang'e Lander, Mira, W-Series Capsule, HAKUTO-R Lander.
- How does Astrobee compare to Chang'e Lander?
- Astrobee and Chang'e Lander (China National Space Administration · 4 deployments) are both space robots on the DEPLOY registry. Astrobee has 2 verified deployments on record. Compare both records for specs, safety, deployments, and verified-vs-claimed autonomy.
- Is Astrobee a top space?
- On DEPLOY's intelligence score, which blends verified deployments, safety, adoption, media, and IP signals, Astrobee ranks in roughly the top 9% of space models tracked by the registry.
- What is Astrobee's maturity stage?
- Astrobee is at the production stage on the DEPLOY maturity ladder (research, prototype, pilot, commercial, production). Production stage means high-volume manufacture and commercial-scale deployments are sustained.
- Is Astrobee safe?
- Astrobee has no incidents on record in the DEPLOY registry. This does not constitute a safety guarantee; it reflects the incidents DEPLOY has tracked and verified to date.
- What is the NASA Astrobee robot?
- Astrobee is NASA's free-flying robotic system designed to work on the International Space Station. It navigates around the ISS autonomously, performing routine duties to help astronauts reduce time on chores and focus more on research. Astrobee is a cube-shaped robot that uses fans for propulsion in microgravity.
Methodology: Verified · 3 sources (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-07-15
Verification posture
Verified
Low confidence
Review state
Stable
Last reviewed 2026-07-15
Maturity + lifecycle
Maturity stage: production
Lifecycle: active
Architectural position
Cohort: space
Sources by quality tier
- 3
- unclassified
- Unclassified source
The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.
Methodology surface for Astrobee.Recent coverage
Astrobee in third-party press
Attention vs reality over time
Media mentions per month (area) against verified deployment events (dots). A press spike over a flat deployment line is the hype gap, drawn over time.
In the press
Recent coverage mentioning Astrobee from third-party publications. Automatically surfaced; not part of the verified registry record.
Zero Robotics 2026 Middle School Program Registration is Open! - MIT Media Lab
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AI advances robot navigation on the International Space Station - Stanford Report
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NASA collaboration builds on International Space Station robots’ Trojan ties - USC Today
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Zero Robotics 2026 High School Program Registration is Open! - MIT Media Lab
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Meet Astrobee: NASA's autonomous robot assistants floating alongside astronauts - Earth.com
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NASA partners with Arkisys to advance Astrobee robots on the ISS - Robotics & Automation News
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US Navy Scientists Teach Zero-Gravity Robot to Fly in Space Without Human Interference - The Debrief
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NASA Seeks Input for Astrobee Free-flying Space Robots - NASA (.gov)
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Free-Flying Robots in Space: How Real-Life Droids are Testing New Tech - International Space Station National Laboratory
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NASA’s Honey Astrobee Robot Returns to Space - NASA (.gov)
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Orbital hopping maneuvers with two Astrobee free-flyers: Ground and flight experiments - Frontiers
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Astrobee Space-Bots Mark a New Milestone in Human-Robot Teamwork - NASA (.gov)
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Machine-readable surfaces
- Markdown mirror: /models/astrobee.md
- JSON-LD: embedded in this page’s head
- REST API: /v1/models/83679589-eaf6-4714-9fb2-c26a4368d974
- Revision history: /models/astrobee/history
- Data documentation: /data
- Query this programmatically: Deploy MCP
Video
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Reality vs attention
Astrobee draws attention at the 88th percentile but verifies reality at the 91st percentile among space robots. Hype Gap -2.5, 12th widest among space robots.
6-month trend
Analysis
Thin deployment record; scale validation still in progress.
Signal flags
Dimension breakdown
Verified signal
Attention (reach, not merit)
DEPLOY Intelligence scores are computed from verified registry data: confirmed deployments, disclosed funding rounds, regulatory filings, active job listings, video viewership, and press coverage. Confidence ratings reflect data availability. Scores update nightly.
DEPLOY Indices — verified vs claimed
Last computed: Jul 21, 2026