Google and NASA Develop Robot Medical Assistant for Deep-Space Missions

Google and NASA are developing an experimental robot to assist astronauts with medical support and routine duties on future deep-space missions. The project brings together Google Cloud, NASA’s Human Research Program, Johnson Space Center’s robotics team and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The robot is intended to support a crew medical officer, not replace one. It could retrieve and prepare equipment, help monitor basic health measures and assist with simple examinations under human supervision. The team has also designed it to handle cargo, organize tools, secure compartments and perform maintenance when medical help is not needed.

The work builds on the Crew Medical Officer Digital Assistant, which Google and NASA have been evaluating since 2025. That AI system is intended to help astronauts assess health problems when communication with Earth is delayed. Google public sector vice president Jim Kelly said a future Mars mission could face round-trip communication delays of up to 44 minutes.

In initial laboratory trials, the robot located and moved a medical bag with an 85% success rate, according to Kelly. The result covers a basic retrieval task; it does not show that the system can reliably conduct examinations or handle complex emergencies. Google describes the project as a proof of concept, and there is no confirmed fully integrated, space-ready robot. NASA said it is examining several advanced AI initiatives with partners for possible future missions.