Is a telepresence-system an affective alternative to manned missions?

Telepresence-systems have the potential to take on an important role in on-orbit servicing scenarios. In comparison to manned missions, these systems offer a safer way to operate in outer space. One of the main goals of telepresence research is to learn whether immersive telepresence systems can achieve the efficiency of astronauts in typical mounting tasks, considering that astronauts´ mobility is restricted by a range of factors including microgravity and space suits. In order to determine whether a telepresence system is more efficient in performing tasks compared to suited astronauts, an experimental study comparing both scenarios was accomplished.