Photo courtesy of NASA
The Automonous EVA Robotic Camera (AERCam) Sprint Free Flyer is a NASA system designed to prove the validity of free flying robotic vehicles for use on the space shuttle and space station. The Sprint Free Flyer is a sphere approximately 14 inches in diameter and weighing only 35 pounds. It includes two cameras, one narrow and one wide-field-of-view. Twelve thrusters supplied by a gaseous nitrogen tank charged to 2700 psi propel the unit. Other components include lithium batteries, rate sensors, avionics box, RF transceiver, S-band transmitter, beacon lights and a floodlight. OSS engineers worked hand-in-hand with NASA engineers to develop the concept, design the control station, perform the pre-flight functional and certification tests, and install the Sprint into the Shuttle at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida.
