Milking Solution
Astronaut
Introduction
Designed for cows and farmers
Transform your farm with the new milestone in milking. The Lely Astronaut is an evolution that incorporates everything we have learned during the past 25 years since we pioneered automatic milking. We took into consideration the needs of cows and our customers to create an enhanced cow- and farmer-friendly milking system.
Astronaut USP's
Cow comfort
Achieve optimal comfort for your cows by letting them decide when to eat, drink, relax, or be milked. The hybrid arm, I-flow concept, and teat detection system contribute to a healthier cow and increase visiting behaviour.
Ease of use
Stay in total control over your herd with our user-friendly interface and cutting-edge management system, Horizon. Easily navigate through dashboards, tasks, alerts, predictions, information, and reports.
Peace of mind
Enjoy peace of mind. The more you can rely on the Astronaut, the better you can utilise saved hours and enjoy flexibility.
Lower cost of ownership
The Astronaut is built to realize a significant lower cost per kilogram of milk produced. Thanks to smart, state of the art technique and the unique hybrid robot arm it helps you to produce high-quality milk at a low cost price.
Explore the
Astronaut
I-Flow
Hybrid arm
Cleaning with brushes
Consistent attaching
Intuitive user interface
Build on experience
Milking solution
Astronaut
This automatic milking system is designed with the cow in mind, offering the most natural way to milk. The I-flow concept, hybrid arm, and teat detection system contribute to smooth and quick milking for all cows in the herd, resulting in a new milestone in cow comfort.
Features
Build on experience
This automatic milking system is designed with the cow in mind, offering the most natural way to milk. The I-flow concept, hybrid arm, and teat detection system contribute to smooth and quick milking for all cows in the herd, resulting in a new milestone in cow comfort.
Cows dislike obstacles, which is why the I-flow concept offers a straight route with unhindered entrance, leading cows to their milking turn with ease. As a result, the threshold for cows to enter the robot will be lower.
The hybrid arm combines fast and accurate electrical-driven movements with the softness and the power of air for stress-free milking. The air protects the electrical system by balancing the heavy load of the arm and buffering cow kicks. The hybrid arm is silent, allowing cows to experience more rest during milking.
A three-layer laser system delivers the most accurate teat position information and stores the data after each milking. The system’s 3D camera helps localise the cow’s position in the box, allowing the brushes and cups to find the teats with ease.
The healthier the udders, the better the milk. This is why the Astronaut is equipped with a unique brush cleaning system that is designed to remove encrusted dirt and manure around the teats and the underside of the udders, ultimately stimulating milk let-down. After cleaning the teats, the brushes are thoroughly disinfected to help minimise the risk of cross-contamination.
Our customers
Testimonials
Who better to explain which udder care spray suits which situation best then our own farmers? Hear their story in these video's below.
Mauren, Liechtenstein
Martin Malen
One Lely Astronaut, one Lely Vector
It was my aim to make sure that the cows had 24-hour access to graze in the meadows. When it’s warm, they prefer to stay in the barn but when it’s cloudy they like to go outside. And that works perfectly with the milking robot.
Mt Gambier, Australia
Josh and Sam Clark
Four Lely Astronaut milking robots
The transition from the old dairy to the new dairy went surprisingly quick. First goal was teaching the cows to come from the pasture to the robot any time of the day and night. They took to it amazingly well. Also cow health is improved, particularly with lameness because they don’t have to wait anymore.
Hofmansgave farm, Denmark
Dennis Stentebjerg Hansen
Lely Astronaut A2 milking robots since 2001, switched to Astronaut A5 in 2018
What drives me in my dairy work is to develop this farm and to future-proof it. And to create a good place to work. We have to create some workplaces where we can attract skilled people to take care of the cows . The robots fit very well into that.
MPR statistics
Lely farmers score better!*
Every year, figures show that Dutch cows milked by a Lely Astronaut produce, perform better than cows milked by other systems.
Higher milk yield with milking robots
Since 2015, we have seen that Dutch cows that are milked by a Lely Astronaut produce more milk on average than cows that are milked in other systems. This trend will continue in 2023, the difference in milk production is even greater than ever. And once again, Astronaut users combine this with a better cell count and excellent fertility characteristics. View all the details in the graphs on the right.
*) The results are based on CRV data from the Netherlands (an independent party that develops information products for cattle farmers to better manage their businesses). Comparison of Lely with an aggregate of other systems. Individual results may differ based on make of other systems and relevant country. No rights can be derived from these results.
Higher avg. annual milk revenue per cow Higher average yearly milk production
Higher average fat production Higher average lifetime production
Higher average protein production Lower somatic cell count
The process
Start-up support: every step of the way
Before
Before the Astronaut comes into operation, we help you prepare your farm for automatic milking. This includes discussions on cow health, feeding, daily routines, Free Cow Traffic, and Partial Mixed Ratio feeding. We also provide training on robot operation and the associated management system.
01
During
When the Astronaut is installed, the robot is extensively checked. Together we go through the new routines and group the cows. Once every detail is accurate, milking begins. During the initial milking, we provide intensive support.
02
After
Once everything is up and running the start-up period ends and we begin with the next step to further optimise your farm according to your preferences. Together we will define which services will support you best.
03
Media slider Astronaut pictures
Related solutions
Astronaut works well with
The Lely Astronaut robotic milking system is designed with a dedicated focus on optimum well‑being for both you and your herd. With this in mind, we offer a range of related products to complete your automated milking setup.
Downloads
Download the latest Astronaut brochure
Astronaut
Dairy XL
Milking
Producing high-quality milk requires time and care. It requires making choices that fit in with you and your goals. Our solutions for automatic milking help you make the right decisions to attain those goals.