Russia launchs rocket carrying life-sized robot “Fedor” to International Space Station

Russia has launched a rocket carrying life-sized robot to the International Space Station (ISS) from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It is set to arrive at the station on Saturday. The robot, named Fedor (Experimental Demonstration Object Research), is the first ever sent into space by Russia. Fedor stands some one metre and 80 centimetres tall (5ft 11 inches) and weighs 160 kgs. In order to test a new emergency rescue system, the robot was the Soyuz rocket’s only passenger. During its 10 days at the ISS, Fedor will learn new skills such as connecting and disconnecting electric cables using standard items from a screwdriver and a spanner to a fire extinguisher.