BEIJING, March 20 -- The robot Dextre has a prime parking spot at the international space station and should be able to keep it for at least a few months.

Spacewalker Rick Linnehan with the earth in the background works to complete the assembly of the Canadian Space Agency's two-armed robotic system Dextre during an extravehicular excursion from the International Space Station in this image from NASA TV March 15, 2008.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Astronauts moved the mechanical hulk to its new perch outside NASA's Destiny lab on Tuesday night, wrapping up nearly a week of robotic work.

    Before they could relocate the robot, astronauts aboard the linked shuttle Endeavour and space station had to fold up Dextre's two arms, both of which have seven joints. It was a slow process that took an hour for each arm. The move itself, on the end of the space station's mechanical arm, went fairly quickly.

    Dextre - a 3.6-meter giant with 3.35-meter arms - was launched into space in nine pieces aboard a transport bed, or pallet, that served as the robot-construction zone. Three spacewalks were needed to put the robot together.

    The Canadian Space Agency supplied the US$200 million-plus robot, conceived as an assistant to spacewalking astronauts. It may be months, or possibly even a year, before the robot is put to the test. That's how long it will take to check out the robot and allow an appropriate job to present itself.

    Dextre's initial checkout went well, with just one minor flaw. When the waist joint was commanded to turn, it moved in the wrong direction, said flight director Kwatsi Alibaruho. Engineers believe the problem can be remedied easily with software.

    (Source: Shanghai Daily/Agencies)