A Robotic Helping Hand – NASA

NASA astronaut Jonny Kim took this photo on July 23, 2025, when the International Space Station was in orbit 259 miles above a cloudy Pacific Ocean southwest of Mexico. Seen in the image is the 57.7-foot-long Canadarm2 robotic arm, extending from a data grappling hook on the Harmony module of the International Space Station. Attached to its locking end effector is Dextre, the station’s finely tuned robotic hand, designed for delicate external maintenance tasks. The station crew uses the Canadarm2 to perform maintenance tasks, capture visiting spacecraft, and move supplies, equipment, and even astronauts.

On November 2, 2025, the space station reached 25 years of continuous human presence. The orbiting laboratory remains a training and testing ground for deep space missions, allowing NASA to focus on Artemis missions to the Moon and Mars.

Image credit: NASA/Jonny Kim