Space Robots and Space Debris with Tom McCarthy of Motiv Space Systems

The Irish Tech News Podcast

In todays podcast I chat with Tom McCarthy who gives us a birds eye view of the issue of space junk/debris that has until quite recently managed to stay under the public radar. As a space robotics expert Tom McCarthy reminds us about how the unpredictable reentry of the Chinese Long March booster rocket that brought the problem of space junk to the forefront, and how advanced near-space robotics will play a crucial role in solving this problem?

Motiv Space Systems was founded in 2014 by three experienced robotics engineers, Chris Thayer, Brett Lindenfeld and Tom McCarthy. The company’s founders believed that they could develop and build space-based robotic systems more efficiently and with a higher level of quality and capability than their competitors in the market.

They were quickly proved right, earning and successfully executing NASA contracts for a range of missions, including most recently the robotic arm on the Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover.

In 2020, Motiv launched their groundbreaking xLink Robotic Arm System, a space-rated modular robotic arm that sets a new standard for capability and affordability, and brings robotic arm capabilities in reach of a whole new class of missions.

Mr. McCarthy is VP of Development at Motiv Space Systems; the firm designs robotics and advanced components for space exploration, most recently the arm and camera on the Perseverance rover.

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