Dextre Tooled Up, Good to Go

Dextre, the colossal space robot, is ready to go and awaiting instructions after astronauts successfully fitted the 12-foot helper with a tool kit and cameras for "eyes" last night, Space.com reports. Dextre is set to take up residence outside the International Space Station's Destiny lab later today and will undergo tests before it is asked to perform major tasks.

The robot will take over some exterior maintenance on the ISS from astronauts—who are still getting used to having Dextre around. "It's kind of surreal to be out there and floating around in space looking out at this giant, white robot that looks like something from Star Wars," an astronaut said. "But it isn't sci-fi, this is reality." (More NASA stories.)