Shenzhou XIX crew successfully tests pipeline inspection robot on space station

Shenzhou XIX crew successfully tests pipeline inspection robot on space station
by Simon Mansfield
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Mar 01, 2025

The crew of China's Shenzhou XIX mission has completed a pivotal in-orbit test of a pipeline inspection robot aboard the Tiangong space station, marking a major step forward in space station maintenance technology.

To evaluate the robot's capabilities, astronauts constructed a simulated pipeline system with an assortment of straight, curved, and conical pipes of varying diameters. Within this environment, they tested the robot's ability to move autonomously, deploy from its contracted state, and adjust its positioning post-deployment, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) reported.

During these tests, the robot demonstrated consistent and reliable mobility through different pipeline configurations, validating its capacity for autonomous navigation in intricate structures. A key highlight was the robot's ability to extract itself from complex pipelines even after experiencing a power loss, confirming the effectiveness of its passive compliant mechanism in ensuring operational safety.

This experiment represented the first in-orbit assessment of a specialized robotic system on China's space station. The findings from this test provide valuable insights for the deployment of similar robotic systems for routine pipeline inspections in space, the CMSA stated.

The CMSA highlighted that pipeline inspection robots must overcome several significant challenges within space station pipelines, including navigating complex internal structures, maintaining optimal contact force with the pipeline walls, and preventing entrapment in unexpected scenarios.

To address these challenges, researchers designed the robot with a biomimetic variable stiffness mechanism inspired by the tube feet of echinoderms, such as starfish and sea urchins. This mechanism allows the robot's legs to retract when inactive and extend outward during movement. The combination of passive and active leg-scissor mechanisms enables the robot to swiftly adapt to changing pipe diameters, ensuring reliable mobility.

The robot's active control system further fine-tunes the pressure applied between its feet and the pipeline walls, optimizing propulsion and maintaining a stable trajectory. Additionally, its onboard intelligence system integrates full-body sensors to analyze position, posture, and movement strategies in real time, ensuring smooth navigation while preserving pipeline integrity.

Ground control teams closely monitored the robot's operational parameters-including position, power consumption, and contact force-through support software. This real-time data tracking enabled engineers to assist astronauts in the in-orbit tests and assess the robot's performance for future refinements.

The results from this experiment serve as a foundation for subsequent advancements in space station robotics, reinforcing China's commitment to enhancing autonomous maintenance capabilities aboard Tiangong.