Despite the progress since the first attempts of mankind to explore space, it appears that sending man in space remains challenging. While robotic systems are not yet ready to replace human presence, they provide an excellent support for astronauts during maintenance and hazardous tasks. This paper presents the development of a space qualified multi-fingered robotic hand and highlights the most interesting challenges. The design concept, the mechanical structure, the electronics architecture and the control system are presented throughout this overview paper.

This paper presents the Automation and Technology testbed for External Servicing (ARTES) developed by Tecnospazio on behalf of European Space Agency Technology Center (ESTEC). ARTES was conceived as a ground testbed to perform technology assessment of