By Lisa Fary
Am I the only one who thinks having a giant robot on the international space station is awesome? John thinks that having a monstrous robot looming over us in space is a bad idea, but I think I’m in love.
Today, NASA shuttle Endeavor will deliver the dismembered pieces of Dextre, the giant robot developed by the Canadian Space Agency, to be assembled aboard the international space station.
The assembly process is expected to be slightly easier than assembling a set of dresser drawers from Ikea.
Dextre will be fixed to the outside of the space station, where his primary function will be exterior maintenance.
That’s right. Dextre is a $200 million handyman.
[nms:iron giant,1,0]
Dextre won’t become our new robotic overlord just yet. Mission astronaut Garret Reisman, who will be assembling Dextre, says the robot “doesn’t have a lot of its own intelligence” and will be controlled by operators on the space station as well as on the ground.
Of course, John knows that all it takes for Dextre to become a self-aware robot on a rampage is an AI virus or a cosmic storm. Even if Dextre does come smashing through our house with his grippers and seven jointed arms, at least I’ll have a bit of that sci-fi future I thought I would have by now.
Never miss an update. Subscribe to Pink Raygun by Email or subscribe via RSS
Lisa Fary is a graduate of the creative writing program at Florida State University and holds an advanced degree in Special Education. Her early exposure to classic Battlestar Galactica in 1979 is largely responsible for her lifelong interest in science fiction and her childhood ambition of being an intergalactic space cowgirl.
Related Stuff:
Lisa Fary's earliest influences are Princess Leia, Rainbow Bright, Astronaut Barbie, and her 6th grade teacher, Ms. Palmer. She's angry that it's 2011 and she still doesn't have a hovercraft, but will accept a jetpack as consolation. That jetpack had better be pink with a rhinestone monogram. 
This prospect makes me excited too. And I think the reason can be summed up in the opening lyrics to Megas XLR:
I dig giant robots
You dig giant robots
We dig giant robots
Chicks dig giant robots
Nice! =)