Russia launched a rocket carrying life-sized robot to the International Space Station (ISS) from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

It is set to arrive at the station on Saturday 24rth August 2019. The robot, named ‘Fedor’ is the first-ever sent into space by Russia. 

In order to test a new emergency rescue system, the robot was the Soyuz rocket’s only passenger.

Alexander Bloshenko, the Russian Space Agency’s Director for Prospective Programmes and Science said that during its 10 days at the ISS, Fedor will learn new skills such as connecting and disconnecting electric cables, using standard items from a screwdriver and a spanner to a fire extinguisher.