Icarus Robotics puts KULR at the heart of space robot JOY

Rendering of a production-ready version of Joy. | Source: Icarus Robotics

Icarus Robotics has selected KULR Technology Group as the battery supplier for its JOY autonomous free-flying vehicle. The device will go to the International Space Station (ISS) in early 2027.

Why choose KULR

Under the terms of the agreement, KULR will supply its KULR ONE Space (K1S) battery systems. They will power JOY's onboard systems while it autonomously navigates, maneuvers and operates on the ISS.

The Webster, Texas-based company designed the K1S to NASA safety standards. The effectiveness of these batteries has already been proven in the Artemis II manned lunar mission.

Ethan Barajas, co-founder and CEO of Icarus, told The Robot Report that there were several reasons for choosing KULR. But the main thing is the flight story.

“In space, flight history is everything,” Barajas says. - If you can point NASA to components that have already worked in space, the approval process goes much faster. The KULR battery architecture has already flown in the Artemis program. And when we work with Voyager and the ISS team, we can point to this and say, “This is a known variable.” For a young startup that wants to move quickly, this makes a huge difference.”

“Besides, KULR does everything domestically – engineering, manufacturing, testing. This becomes increasingly important when thinking about the reliability of supply chains for future missions,” he added.

JOY mission to the ISS

Icarus first announced plans to send JOY to the ISS in March. At the same time, she signed a contract to manage the mission with Voyager Technologies. Powered by embedded AI, JOY will assist with routine tasks, infrastructure maintenance and future activities on commercial space stations.

The New York-based startup says its goal is to free up astronauts so they can focus on higher-value research and mission tasks. Last year, Icarus raised $6.1 million in seed funding. Since then, the company has been working to develop its system into a scalable, production-ready robot.

How to protect batteries in space

To keep the crew safe and reduce risks, NASA has strict requirements for any batteries on board.

“Batteries for manned flight are a completely different story,” Barajas says. - The main standard is JSC 20793, NASA requirements for the safety of batteries on manned spacecraft. It defines how to design and test any battery that flies near astronauts."

“The standard divides batteries into three risk classes. Anything over 80 watt-hours falls into the highest category, which NASA calls "catastrophic." This is the official term,” he explained. - When you build a powerful standalone platform like JOY, the battery pack is large, and the safety requirements are extremely stringent. For such batteries, NASA generally does not allow the accident to spread from one cell to others.”

“KULR's KULR ONE Space system is designed to meet this standard, including passive proliferation protection,” continued Barajas. - If one cell goes into thermal runaway, the fire does not spread to the others. Plus, you need to take into account vibrations during startup, vacuum, radiation - all this affects the battery management system. This is a fundamentally different challenge than batteries for satellites or ground-based solutions.”

KULR built the KULR ONE Space system on lightweight REACH architecture - high energy intensity with low weight. K1S systems use carefully selected cells that have been tested using Initial Lot Assessment (ILA), Lot Acceptance Testing (LAT), and NASA WI-37A protocols.

Manual charging at first

For now, JOY batteries will have to be charged in space manually - with the help of the crew.

“At first, JOY will be fully crewed - this is a safety decision first and foremost,” Barajas explained. - Early on, the astronaut charges the robot manually, like any other device. This way the person remains in the control loop while we gain experience working alongside the crew.”

“In the future we will be able to dock and charge autonomously, but we won't be demonstrating that in this deployment yet,” he added. - We will implement this feature as the platform matures and approvals are received. At a manned station, autonomy is gained gradually. Autonomous docking is the key to completely removing humans from the loop and operating in unmanned environments.”

Preparing for launch in 2027

Icarus Robotics' JOY robot will set off on its first Joyride mission in 2027. JOY is scheduled to launch in early 2027 as part of the JOYRIDE-1 mission.

By integrating KULR ONE Space systems, Icarus builds on KULR's space-proven battery architecture, thermal management expertise, and NASA heritage. All this will help the robot prepare for the first launch and further flights.

“Deployment to the ISS in 2027 is the foundation, but the scale of expansion will be enormous,” Barajas said. “Now we are acting very carefully: we are building a partnership with KULR, making minor improvements to adapt the platform for the first launch.”

“When we get to future missions in outer space, with extreme temperatures, radiation and thermal shocks, that's when the KULR will become really exciting - we'll get the most out of these batteries,” he said.

According to Icarus, keeping one person alive in space costs $130,000 an hour. Most of this time is spent sleeping, training and other mandatory activities. An astronaut's time is worth its weight in gold.

“In the future, robotic labor should become part of space stations,” says Barajas. - Whether it's large-scale assembly, maintenance or manufacturing, the orbital economy won't take off without it. Every time we launch with KULR's K1S system, we build a flight history that carries over to the entire ecosystem - commercial stations and future missions. It becomes a known variable and it lowers barriers for the entire industry, not just us.”