A humanoid robot will be launched into space from Japan.
The robot, named Kirobo, will be the first talking companion for astronauts, the Telegraph reported.
The name "Kirobo" comes from the Japanese words for "hope" and "robot."
Kirobo is only 13.4 inches tall, and weighs a mere two pounds.
The miniature humanoid contains voice recognition technology and conversation abilities.
Kirobo has huge round eyes and red boots, he can hold conversations in Japanese.
The robot was made in part for Koichi Wakata, an astronaut who will soon be the first Japanese commander of the International Space Station.
Wakata will converse with the robot as part of an experiment to determine if robots could be effective in aiding astronauts in space.
Kirobo's twin, Mirata will remain on Earth to monitor any problems the pair encounter in space.
The launch will be broadcasted live starting at 3:00 p.m. EDT on August 3.
"I want to help create a world where humans and robots can live together," Kirobo said when asked what its dream is during its unveiling, Space.com reported.
The launch will also carry 3.5 tons of "supplies, food, and equipment," into space.
The vessel is called "Kounotori," which means "white stork" in Japanese.
Kounotori is meant to be used only once. After delivering it cargo, astronauts at the ISS will fill the vessel with trash and launch it into the Earth's atmosphere to burn up.
SpaceX's Dragon cargo capsule (which is not involved in Kirobo's launch) is reusable. It is designed to crash into the ocean after it fulfills its duties, a boat crew then goes out and retrieves it.
Dragon has already successfully competed two resupply missions to the ISS, SpaceX plans to make 10 more missions under a contract with NASA.
NASA has also signed a contract with the Orbital Sciences Corp. to conduct eight flights of a spacecraft called Cygnus.
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