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A tiny robot known as MIRA will be blasting off to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2024 to perform simulated surgical procedures in microgravity.

MIRA, or “Miniaturized in vivo Robotic Assistant,” will fly to the International Space Station thanks to a $100,000 award to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).

The technology involved could in the future provide a solution to medical emergencies requiring surgical intervention while astronauts are far from home, such as on a mission to Mars.

First though, the 2024 test mission will see MIRA operate within an experimental locker the size of a microwave aboard ISS in low-Earth orbit.

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