The European Spallation Source (ESS) is a multi-disciplinary research facility which will be the world’s most powerful pulsed neutron source. A critical component of ESS will be a facility for handling radioactive waste and preparing it for safe disposal; this facility must operate for at least 40 years. Safe disposal of ESS waste requires the dexterous tele-manipulation of large, highly activated payloads in a shielded chamber: a hot cell.