Humanoid Robot Sent to Space

As the first robot “astronaut” is sent into space, we get that much closer to a real-life WALL-E. And, of course, it's from Japan. Kirobo, the first talking humanoid robot to be sent to the final frontier, was launched Sunday along with other supplies and devices bound for the International Space Station by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency. The 13-inch-tall machine told reporters prior to launch, "One small step for me, a giant leap for robots." Kirobo, which is expected to arrive in November, is intended to be a companion for Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata and will communicate with another robot on Earth. Now this is a buddy comedy we'd all like to see.