Canada celebrates

Tventy five years with CANADARM

-Canada’s ticket to the Space Shuttle and ISS

Human participation is necessary in order to build large constructions in Like a space – that is a fact, to put it mildly human arm - but without the use of the right tools it will be impossible. With nerves When the plans for a shuttle of copper wiring, system first were introduced, a bones of graphite manipulator system was introduced as fibre, and electric a necessity, a robotic arm that could motors for muscles, deploy and retrieve space hardware Canadarm is like from the payload bay of the shuttle. the human arm. It Canadian industrial companies has rotating joints: accepted the challenge, and the two at the shoulder, manipulator system, Canadarm, made one at the elbow its space debut in November, 1981. and three at the The design and building of the Shuttle wrist. At 15 metres Remote Manipulator System also and weighing less marked the beginning of Canada’s than 480 kilograms, close collaboration with NASA in Canadarm can manned space flight. lift over 30,000 But the development did not kilograms in the stop there. A similar system for the weightlessness of Canadarm2 gives Canadian scientists space station was developed, and in space-or the mass of a fully loaded access to the Station’s laboratory April 2001, Space Shuttle Endeavour bus, using less electricity than a facilities to conduct experiments. delivered a package that was Canada’s teakettle. It also entitles key contribution to the International The brain of “In fact, the Station could Canada to send the system is a an astronaut to Space Station, the Canadarm 2. not even have been built computer that the Station every Developing a manipulator system without the two versions for use in space is not an everyday controls the arm three years for of Canadarm. Every single activity for industrial companies, but while providing a tour of duty based on robotic arms developed to essential guidance mission will need it,” said lasting three to load fuel into nuclear reactors some information to the Savinder Sachdev, Director four months. Canadian companies agreed to build astronaut. It can be General of Space Systems The the first Shuttle Remote Manipulator operated manually for the Canadian Space contribution of System in 1974. There were no by an astronaut Agency. Canadarm2 buys existing blueprints or off-the-shelf at the controls or Canadians the components for machines that work programmed to right to use 2.3% continually in the harsh environment function automatically. Its hand is of the laboratory space in the non- of space. NASA had stringent a wire-snare device that fits over a Russian part of the Station, as well demands for weight, dexterity, manual special grapple fixture on the payload. as access to a platform outside that and automatic operations, versatility, exposes experiments to open space. and precision of movement, safety, What has the investment CSA will provide another robotic system, known as the Special Purpose and reliability. From scratch, Canada provided in return? had to build a tool to function Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM), to flawlessly in space with the dexterity Canadarm1 gave the Canadian space pre-pay part of these user fees. of a human arm. research community access to using the Space Shuttle at different tasks and

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