Robotics and the future of on-orbit labor
In this episode, SpaceNews' Mike Gruss interviews Icarus Robotics CEO and co-founder Ethan Barajas at the 2026 Small Satellite Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. They discuss why astronauts have compared space missions to working in a warehouse, recent progress toward robotic systems that can offload menial tasks during missions, and the future of on-orbit labor.
This episode is sponsored by FrontGrade.
👉 See more episodes in the Space Minds playlist
About Space Minds
Space Minds is a new audio and video podcast from SpaceNews that focuses on the inspiring leaders, technologies and exciting…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.