Abstract
Learn first hand from an engineer from MDA Robotics and Automation about the Canadarm2 space robotic arm.
From the Shuttle program to the International Space Station, the team at MDA Robotics and Automation have proven the capabilities of Canadian robotics in space. Using the lessons learned from these technologies and moving towards the future, legacy programs have been sustained as well as used as a platform for the development of new capabilities and technologies. These new areas of exploration not only include future space-based applications, but the medical and nuclear sectors as well.
Launched on STS-100 in April 2001, the next generation robot arm, called Canadarm2, is a bigger, better, smarter version of the robotic arm that was on the space shuttles. It is 57.7 feet long when fully extended and has seven motorized joints. This arm is capable of handling large payloads and helped build the entire ISS orbiting complex. It has latches on either end, allowing it to be moved by both ground controllers and the expedition crews to various portions of the station. It has even been used to move astronauts around during spacewalks.
Join Kristen Facciol on a journey through space and time.
