A tiny robot on the space station will simulate remote-controlled surgery up there

Sean Crimmins, a senior in engineering at the University of Nebraska, loads the robotic arm into its case on Aug. 11 before a shake test. (Craig Chandler/University of Nebraska Office of University Communication and Marketing)

The robot is small in size but its aspirations are out of this world — literally.

MIRA, which stands for miniaturized in vivo robotic assistant, recently became the first surgical robot at the International Space Station.