Dexterous hands with sensing
NASA says the hands carry six-axis force/torque sensors in the fingers and thumb, plus tactile sensing for contact force, shear and slip. [2]
NASA Robonaut 2
Specs, price & availability · verified Oct 2026
NASA Robonaut 2 is a 101.6 cm, 149.7 kg upper-body from NASA (United States), prototype with no published price.
- Price
- Not disclosed
- Height
- 101.6 cm
- Weight
- 149.7 kg
- Total DoF
- 42
Last verified Oct 10, 2026
Price & availability
NASA has not published a price
Prototype
Current dataset status: Prototype.
Product overview
About NASA Robonaut 2
NASA Robonaut 2 (R2) is an upper-body dexterous humanoid that NASA co-developed with General Motors under a 2007 Space Act Agreement. NASA's Johnson Space Center led the design, and the robot was unveiled in February 2010. Its base configuration is a torso, two arms, a head and hands, with no walking lower body.
R2 launched to the International Space Station on STS-133 in February 2011 and became the first humanoid robot in space. A pair of climbing legs was delivered to the station in April 2014 on SpX-3, and NASA returned the station robot to Earth for repairs in 2018.
The flown R2 unit has been on public display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center since October 2024. That does not establish that every R2 system or the research platform was retired: NASA's 2025 In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing catalog lists Robonaut 2 as operational. Because it remains a non-commercial research system, this page classifies it as a prototype.
Capabilities
Key features
First humanoid in space
R2 launched to the ISS on STS-133 in February 2011. NASA's museum caption calls it the first humanoid robot to fly to space. [1][4]
Legs added for station use
A pair of legs reached the ISS in April 2014 on SpX-3, extending the upper-body robot for station tasks. [1]
Public display since 2024
R2 has been displayed at the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center since October 2024, near the space shuttle Discovery. [4]
Operational research platform
NASA's 2025 ISAM State of Play catalog lists Robonaut 2 as operational, with 42 total degrees of freedom and 12-DoF hands. [7]
Hardware profile
Specifications
Official — stated by the manufacturer or organizerReported — stated by a credible third partyEstimated — derived or approximate
Body
- Height
- 101.6 cmOfficial — stated by the manufacturer or organizer[5]NASA lists 3 ft 4 in from waist to head for the upper-body configuration
Hands & Manipulation
Compute & Sensing
- Onboard compute
- 38 PowerPC processorsOfficial — stated by the manufacturer or organizer[5]
Show unknown fields (8)
Mobility
- Maximum speed
- Not published
- Peak joint torque
- Not published
- Actuation
- Not published
Power
- Battery
- Not published
- Runtime
- Not published
- Charge time
- Not published
- Swappable battery
- Not published
Compute & Sensing
- AI stack
- Not published
Quick answers
NASA Robonaut 2 FAQ
Can you buy NASA Robonaut 2?
No general order page is verified. NASA Robonaut 2 is currently classified as prototype. [2]
How tall is NASA Robonaut 2 and how much does it weigh?
NASA Robonaut 2 is 101.6 cm tall and weighs 149.7 kg (NASA's 2011 station fact sheet lists 330 lb (about 149.7 kg); MIT Technology Review reported about 100 lb at the 2010 unveiling, before the station configuration was finalized). [5][3]
How much can NASA Robonaut 2 carry?
The listed payload is 9.1 kg; Per arm: NASA says each arm can hold 20 lb in any pose in Earth gravity (about 9.1 kg); a secondary 40 lb figure appears to describe both arms combined. [5][1]
How many degrees of freedom does NASA Robonaut 2 have?
NASA Robonaut 2 has 42 listed degrees of freedom; Total stated in NASA's fact sheet and 2025 ISAM catalog. [5][7]
Who makes NASA Robonaut 2?
NASA Robonaut 2 is made by NASA, based in United States. [2]
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Evaluation footprint
Benchmarks & competitions
No benchmark embodiments or results reference this robot yet.
Related
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Evidence
Sources
- [1]Robonaut 2 - Wikipedia ↗Wikipedia · database · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [2]Robonaut 2 Technologies (NASA Technology Transfer) ↗NASA · official · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [3]A Giant Leap for Humanoid Kind ↗MIT Technology Review · press · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [4]Robonaut 2 on display at NASM (NASA photo NHQ202410240001), Wikimedia Commons file page ↗Wikimedia Commons (NASA image) · other · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [5]Robonaut 2 Fact Sheet ↗NASA Johnson Space Center · official · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [6]Robonaut 2 ↗NASA · official · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- [7]2025 In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing State of Play ↗NASA · paper · accessed Oct 8, 2026