Insider Brief
- Motiv Space Systems signed an agreement with PickNik Robotics to support software development for NASA’s Fly Foundational Robotics mission, which aims to advance on-orbit manipulation under its In-space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing initiative.
- PickNik will provide motion planning and arm control software based on its MoveIt Pro platform, along with ground-based operator tools and a flight runtime configuration using Space ROS to support simulation, testing and execution in low Earth orbit.
- The collaboration also includes software integration and operational tooling aligned with long-duration missions, with integration support involving orbital platform provider Astro Digital.
PRESS RELEASE — Motiv Space Systems announced a contractual agreement with PickNik Robotics to support software development for NASA’s Fly Foundational Robotics (FFR) mission. FFR is focused on advancing on-orbit robotic manipulation capabilities and supporting NASA’s broader In-space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) objectives.
Motiv is developing the robotic system for the FFR mission to demonstrate autonomous and ground-supervised manipulation tasks in low Earth orbit. As part of this effort, PickNik will provide robot motion planning and arm control software based on its MoveIt Pro commercial robotics platform, to support mission planning, simulation, and execution of robotic motion within spaceflight operational constraints. A special version of the Robot Operating System (ROS™) will be used for this flight mission, called Space ROS. Space ROS is a project of the Open Source Robotics Foundation, with PickNik and NASA among its largest contributors. PickNik will also support integration activities between Motiv and the hosted orbital platform provider, Astro Digital.
PickNik’s scope includes delivery of a flight runtime configuration suitable for the mission compute environment, along with a ground-based operator terminal powered by MoveIt Pro to support mission planning, testing, and validation prior to launch. These tools are intended to help the mission team evaluate robotic behaviors through simulation, digital twin analysis, and operational review before and during on-orbit execution.
Additional collaboration includes software integration and co-development support in areas such as behavior execution, system monitoring interfaces, and operational tooling aligned with the mission’s requirements for long-duration operations and intermittent communications. These capabilities build on MoveIt Pro’s behavior sequencing and modular runtime architecture, while using Space ROS to align with spaceflight-oriented software standards. PickNik will also support representative development hardware used to mirror the flight compute environment during ground testing.
“The Fly Foundational Robotics mission is a critical step toward demonstrating state-of-the-art flight robotic manipulation capabilities that can enable a sustainable and scalable ISAM economy,” said Chris Thayer, CEO of Motiv Space Systems. “We’re proud to support NASA as it advances the next generation of autonomous space operations.”
“FFR is an exciting opportunity to apply MoveIt Pro’s commercially available motion planning software to the unique challenges of on-orbit operations,” said Dave Coleman, Founder and Chief Product Officer of PickNik Robotics. “We’re glad to support Motiv’s team as they prepare for on-orbit mission operations.”
FFR is expected to contribute operational experience and lessons learned that can help inform future robotic missions and capabilities.
Image credit: PickNik Robotics
