DARPA-backed ASTRA robot builds structure in orbit without humans
Caltech researchers demonstrated ASTRA, a robotic system developed under DARPA's NOM4D program, assembling a truss section in low Earth orbit without human intervention. Launched on March 30, 2026, the system built the third bay of a planned 1.4-meter reflector antenna. The team calls it a step toward autonomous construction of large structures in space.
