Icarus Robotics raises $6.1M for AI worker robots in space stations

Pigs in space never made sense. But robots…

Icarus Robotics has raised $6.1 million in seed funding to develop AI-controlled worker robots for commercial space stations. The New York startup aims to handle routine tasks like cargo management and equipment checks, freeing astronauts to focus on scientific research that only humans can perform.

The big picture: With the International Space Station set for decommissioning and commercial space stations on the horizon, the economics of astronaut time are becoming increasingly scrutinized—especially when highly trained crew members spend valuable hours on mundane tasks rather than groundbreaking science.

Why this matters: At $130,000 per hour to keep an astronaut alive in space, automating routine tasks could dramatically improve the cost-effectiveness of space operations while enabling more ambitious scientific missions.

• “The way that the commercial stations think about our capabilities is that this is revenue generating,” co-founder Ethan Barajas told Payload. “It’s creating new science that would have never been able to be done before.”

The founders: Icarus was founded in 2024 by Jamie Palmer and Ethan Barajas, who met through Entrepreneurs First, a venture capital fund.

• Barajas brings space expertise, having worked on an autonomous plant growth lab sent to the ISS at age 17 and lunar rovers during a JPL experience while studying at Cal Tech.
• Palmer contributes robotics experience from building medical field robots during COVID-19.

How it works: The company won’t jump straight to AI-powered automation but will start with remote-operated robots to build training datasets.

• Icarus has partnered with Voyager Technologies to send a prototype remotely-piloted robot to the ISS for a year-long residency.
• The robot resembles an underwater drone, using fan-powered propulsion to navigate the space station and featuring two arms for environmental interaction.
• “When you have such a large margin, you can actually afford to have a tele operator, very skilled operator on Earth paid $130,000 a year…to pilot this robot the entire time that we’re on station,” Barajas explained.

The long-term vision: Icarus envisions AI-powered robots working across multiple commercial space stations and eventually beyond Earth orbit.

• The robots could work alongside astronauts when crews are present and maintain scientific operations during uncrewed periods—particularly relevant for stations like Vast’s Haven 1, which plans short crewed flights.
• Future iterations could include extra-vehicular capabilities for tasks in the vacuum of space and operations on the Moon and Mars.