Global researchers can now develop and test code for a sub-millimetre digital twin of NASA’s Houston space operations facility without needing physical hardware.
On 6 July, 2026, researchers from NASA’s Johnson Space Center and Rice University have launched the iMETRO Dynamic Simulation, the world’s first open-source dynamic simulation environment dedicated to intravehicular robotics (IVR), the robots that work inside space vehicles and indoor habitats.
Nikki Hart is the first author of the study, a Rice University doctoral student, and a NASA Pathways intern. Lydia Kavraki is a renowned algorithmic robotics professor and collaborator at Rice University. Shaun Azimi is the lead for NASA Johnson’s Dexterous Robotics team, working alongside project co-authors Nathan Dunkelberger, Erik Holum, and Emma Zemler.
The primary goal is to maximize astronaut efficiency. Astronauts currently spend roughly a third of their time on routine tasks like hauling trash or cargo. Automating these tasks frees them up for critical science and exploration. By open-sourcing the software, the collaboration allows global researchers, startups, and academic labs to develop and test space robotics code without needing expensive, custom physical hardware setups.
The platform functions as a high-fidelity digital twin of NASA’s physical iMETRO (Integrated Mobile Evaluation Testbed for Robotics Operations) ground facility in Houston, matching it down to the sub-millimetre.
The team validated the simulator by building a remote operation application entirely in the virtual environment and successfully transferring it to the physical NASA hardware in less than a day. The framework includes a model conversion tool and provides ROS 2 (Robot Operating System) hardware control interfaces to the MuJoCo physics engine.
