Creating a giant telescope in outer space will be entrusted to the robot

Scientists from the University of Lincoln in the UK have presented a revolutionary concept that could change the approach to building space telescopes. The team proposes to use “walking” robots to assemble large space objects directly in orbit. This will enable the creation of telescopes, solar power plants and orbital stations.
The key element of the project is the E-Walker robot, which has 7 degrees of freedom. It is capable of moving around the structure, installing and customizing its components. This highly mobile robot will be able not only to build telescopes, but also to perform their maintenance and repair.
The proposed LAST (Large Aperture Space Telescope) will have a 25-meter mirror consisting of 342 modules. E-Walker will step-by-step remove these modules from a special warehouse and assemble the main mirror under the control of the base spacecraft.
Study author Manu Naira noted the importance of the project to the space community, emphasizing its potential to create high-resolution telescopes for astronomical and climate observations. He said the use of robots for orbital assembly will help overcome the size limitations associated with rocket boosters and promote the development of the orbital ecosystem