xLink Robotic Arm System

Launched in 2020 by the same team that built the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover’s robotic arm, xLink is a space-rated modular robotic arm system designed to deliver dexterous robotic capabilities at costs and lead times previously reserved for missions with hundred-million-dollar budgets. xLink is modular (a building-block approach that lets customers configure a system for their needs), scalable (from 1 to 3+ meters, 4-DOF to 7-DOF), and flexible, ranging from component solutions to whole systems. Applications include on-orbit assembly (positioning, connecting modules, deploying large payload elements), satellite servicing (capture and servicing of satellites on-orbit to extend mission life or add capabilities), and exploration of the Moon and Mars as a mobility system or sample-collecting robotic arm. A customized xLink system can be integrated and ready to fly on a development cycle as short as six months. The first flight of the xLink system is onboard NASA’s OSAM-2 mission, performing assembly and manufacturing tasks to help deploy a 3D-printed, five-meter solar array.