Mobility
Icarus Robotics has selected KULR Technology Group as the battery provider for JOY, its autonomous free-flying platform that will travel to the International Space Station (ISS) in early 2027. The partnership leverages KULR’s KULR ONE Space (K1S) battery systems, which are engineered to NASA safety standards and have flight heritage from the Artemis II crewed lunar mission.
For a young startup like Icarus, flight heritage is critical. Ethan Barajas, co-founder and CEO of Icarus, told The Robot Report: “In the space domain, flight heritage is everything. If you can point NASA to components that have already worked in space, the approval process moves much faster.” KULR’s battery architecture has already flown on the Artemis program, which Barajas noted means Icarus can present it as a known variable when working with Voyager and the ISS team. Additionally, KULR manufactures everything domestically, which Barajas said is increasingly important for supply chain reliability.
In the space domain, flight heritage is everything. If you can point NASA to components that have already worked in space, the approval process moves much faster.
JOY, powered by embodied AI, will assist with routine tasks, infrastructure maintenance, and future commercial space station activities aboard the ISS. The New York-based startup aims to free up astronauts so they can focus on higher-value research and mission objectives. Icarus first announced its plans to send JOY to the ISS in March, alongside a mission management contract with Voyager Technologies. The company raised $6.1 million in seed funding last year and has since worked to turn its system into a scalable, production-ready robot.
Source: The Robot Report