Icarus Robotics
"The Labor Force For Space"
Space robotics startup building JOY, an autonomous free-flying robot for cargo handling and stowage on space stations; tested aboard the ISS in 2026.
Icarus Robotics is an early-stage space robotics startup building autonomous free-flying robots to perform labor tasks in orbit. The company describes its mission as creating "the labor force for space."
The company was co-founded by Ethan Barajas and Jamie Palmer. Barajas is a mechanical engineer whose prior work includes designing agricultural nanolab hardware for NASA and the International Space Station, as well as lunar rover development at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in collaboration with Caltech. Palmer is a roboticist trained at Columbia University's ROAM Lab who specializes in dexterous manipulation; he has previously deployed hospital service robots and worked with the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 team.
The company's core technology is a free-flying autonomous robot, referred to in company communications and press coverage as JOY. It is intended to handle tasks such as cargo handling, stowage and orbital construction support aboard space stations, without requiring a human spacewalk or teleoperation for every task. The approach relies on human-in-the-loop learning: the robot's embodied AI is refined through human oversight and correction so that it can handle the variability and edge cases of unstructured orbital environments.
In September 2025, Icarus Robotics raised a $6.1 million seed round. TechCrunch reported the raise as a bet on the "warehouse work" of space stations and orbital facilities, carried out by robots controlled by embodied AI. In March 2026, the company partnered with space infrastructure company Voyager Technologies to test its free-flying robot aboard the International Space Station. Reuters reported the test as a trial of autonomous free-flying robotics in a real microgravity operating environment.
Over the longer term, the founders aim to support what they describe as an industrialized Low Earth Orbit within the current decade.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
Joy
Fan-propelled, free-flying general-purpose robot with two robotic arms and jaw grippers for cargo handling and stowing aboard space stations, teleoperated initially with a roadmap toward embodied-AI autonomy.
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Contact Icarus Robotics
WEBSITE
https://www.icarusrobotics.comHEADQUARTERS
United States
Company Facts
Founded
2024
Primary Role
Manufacturer
Company Size
-
Primary Region
North America
Annual Sales
-
Funding Stage
Early-Stage VC
Funding Total
-
