Case Study: European Space Agency achieves near real-time robotic control from space with RTI Connext DDS

European Space Agency - Customer Case Study

The European Space Agency (ESA) uses telerobotics to advance space exploration, but its Human Robot Interaction Laboratory faced major challenges building remote robot control systems for extraterrestrial missions. ESA needed ultra-low latency, deterministic communications that could handle high volumes of video, haptic, and telemetry data over a constrained, intermittent link from the International Space Station.

RTI helped ESA implement Connext DDS as the communication layer for its Analog-1 project, enabling real-time control between the ISS and a ground robot. Using RTI Connext DDS, ESA achieved a successful two-hour space-to-ground test with astronaut Luca Parmitano operating a semi-autonomous robot from orbit, including force-feedback control and near real-time expert guidance, despite a 160,000-kilometer path and 850-millisecond round-trip delay.

European Space Agency

Thomas Krueger

Human Robot Interaction Laboratory