The world’s first ever conversant humanoid robot companion for astronauts – which we covered in late June – has blasted off into space off from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Centre, Kagoshima Prefecture, on Sunday morning. Kirobo, as the pint-sized robotic companion is called, rode the Japanese H-IIB rocket – along with 5.5 tons of supplies and equipment – and flew towards the International Space Station where it will serve as a moving and talking companion for Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata. The Japanese rocket took off at 4:46 a.m. local time on Sunday.