A U.S. medical technology company, Virtual Incision, is sending its MIRA robotic system for remote surgical operations to the International Space Station. The mission was confirmed by NASA in the United States. The payload will ride on Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft and is scheduled to launch on January 30.
MIRA resembles a compact rectangular device with a cylindrical body roughly half a meter long and weighing about 900 grams. It features two robotic manipulators designed to handle surgical instruments with precision in zero gravity.
Virtual Incision has noted that immediate human surgeries aboard the ISS are not on the agenda for MIRA. Instead, the robot will practice cutting simulated tissue while being controlled from Earth. This remote operation setup aims to test the feasibility and reliability of teleoperation in space.
Company representatives see potential benefits beyond space travel. The technology could support patients in remote or underserved regions where access to modern hospitals is limited. In addition to MIRA, Cygnus will deliver other science gear to the ISS, including a small metal parts 3D printer and a microgravity grown artificial retina system.
Historically, robotics have played a role in space medicine, with a robot previously appearing in the United States to transplant a human liver. This milestone underscores ongoing efforts to expand the capabilities of robotic assistance in space and on Earth. Attribution to NASA information.