"We have to adapt the robot to the overall system of the station"

An anthropomorphic robot and an AI assistant will be tested on the International Space Station. This was stated in an exclusive interview with Izvestia by Anna Kikina, Hero of the Russian Federation, test cosmonaut of the Roscosmos State Corporation, who will return to the space station on July 14. She also explained the differences between the three generations of domestic robots — Fedor, Marfa and Teledroid, what innovations were introduced during their creation and why they cannot yet operate autonomously. The specialist also told when the participants of the flights become truly astronauts.

"The teledroid robot will be in demand in the future in the exploration of other space bodies"

— Anna Yurievna, during your time in the Roscosmos cosmonaut squad, three generations of robotic tools have already been replaced. Teledroid is currently preparing to launch. What are their differences and why are robots needed in space?

— From the operator's point of view, the main change is in the evolution of the robot control equipment. With each new generation, such devices become more convenient, which means they allow a person to transmit more accurate signals to a machine.

An industrial sample of the first anthropomorphic robot of the new generation "Teledroid" corporation "Roscosmos"

Photo: TASS/Roscosmos State Corporation Press Service

The teledroid is the latest device. In the near future, Roscosmos will send him to the ISS. Our crew is tasked with adapting the new robot into the general system of the station, working out operations with it inside a sealed compartment, and then taking it outside, connecting it to power and all communications, and already there, in outer space, performing the planned work with it.

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— Can he act on his own?

— At the current stage, experts consider the remote control mode to be preferable, when a person and a car are synchronized. You can also programmatically set a sequence of actions for the robot. Such a teledroid robot will be in demand in the future when exploring other space bodies. First of all, the Moon.

— What is the control equipment now?

— This is a design that is put on the upper body and arms of the operator in order to read his movements as accurately as possible. Additionally, a virtual reality helmet is used, which transmits a picture from cameras mounted on the robot's "head".

Photo: RIA Novosti/Roscosmos State Corporation Press Service

— An intelligent assistant is currently working on the ISS. Will you introduce the teledroid robot to an AI assistant?

— I am interested in trying to use AI tools in the operational activities of astronauts. The intelligent assistant has many functions, and I want to understand which of these will really simplify the work on board, and which will remain just a curious option.

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"For the first time I felt like an astronaut already in orbit"

— Anna Yurievna, when does a person have the right to call himself a Roscosmos cosmonaut?

— Officially — after receiving the certificate. This happens after passing the state exam and completing the general space training course. In my case, the training lasted a year and a half instead of the usual two — we were the first open enrollment, and the program was highly compressed. It wasn't easy. Until then, you're a candidate for test cosmonauts.

Cosmonaut Anna Kikina

Photo: RIA Novosti/Maxim Blinov

At the level of feelings, for the first time I felt like an astronaut already in orbit, when I arrived at the station and started working there. But the final, calm and stable feeling comes after returning, when you look back at the work done and realize yourself realized in the profession.

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— Going to the ISS as part of the 75th long-term expedition, you will master two types of ships — Crew Dragon and Soyuz MS. What are the feelings associated with this?

— I don't have any special experiences — it's just the canvas I'm in. It so happened that I had such a role. I think it's an interesting and rewarding experience.

From the very beginning, I wanted to fly on the Soyuz, and I've been preparing for this for ten years. But on my first flight, I was assigned to the Crew Dragon crew, and it was also incredibly interesting to participate in this program. Now, in the main crew of the Soyuz, I am fully focused on the work ahead.

Cosmonaut Anna Kikina

Photo: IZVESTIA/Andrey Erstrem

— What experiments are planned for your expedition?

— I am interested in diverse work — biotechnological and medical research, experiments with biomaterials, work with the Teledroid robot, as well as special operations on the outer surface of the station. So I typed in all the possible studies that I could take.