In the increasingly crowded race to put bipedal robots into the cosmos, EngineAI has just thrown its space helmet into the ring. The company announced a partnership with commercial spaceflight outfit InterstellOr to launch one of its humanoids on a suborbital mission slated for 2028. The goal is to test the robot’s capabilities in a microgravity environment, a crucial step before deploying these machines for more ambitious orbital tasks.
This announcement doesn’t happen in a vacuum, of course. NASA has been actively developing its Valkyrie humanoid for years, with the long-term goal of using it for missions to the Moon and Mars. The agency is also collaborating with companies like Apptronik on its Apollo robot to accelerate the commercialization of humanoids for both terrestrial and extraterrestrial applications. And then there’s the elephant in the room: Tesla’s Optimus. Elon Musk has not been shy about his plans to send his own robots to Mars, presumably aboard a SpaceX Starship, to prepare the planet for human colonization. One has to wonder if EngineAI’s 2028 target will be beaten by a fleet of Teslabots.
The push for humanoid robots in space isn’t just about flashy demos. The strategic advantage is clear: offload the dull, dirty, and dangerous work from human astronauts. These robots are designed to use the same tools and workspaces as humans, which means they could one day perform critical maintenance, repair malfunctioning equipment, or even assemble structures in orbit without risking human life.
Why is this important?
Sending a humanoid to space, even on a suborbital flight, is a significant technical challenge and a crucial validation step. For EngineAI, this mission is less about winning a “race” and more about proving its hardware can withstand the harsh realities of spaceflight. The broader implication is the formal start of a new commercial sector focused on robotic labor beyond Earth. While government agencies like NASA paved the way, private ventures are now competing to provide the robotic workforce that will build and maintain future infrastructure on the Moon, Mars, and orbital stations. The era of the robotic astronaut is, it seems, just beginning.
