LONGUEUIL, Que. (CSA PR) — It’s an understatement to say that 2020 was an exceptional year. As the year draws to a close, here’s a look at some of the most compelling, inspirational and incredible moments for Canada in space. Happy New Year!
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HOUSTON (NASA PR) — Northrop Grumman’s uncrewed Cygnus spacecraft is scheduled to depart the International Space Station on Wednesday, Jan. 6, more than three months after delivering nearly 8,000 pounds of supplies, scientific investigations, commercial products, hardware, and other cargo to the orbiting outpost.
Live coverage of the cargo spacecraft’s departure will begin at 9:45 a.m. EST on NASA Television and the agency’s website, with release of Cygnus scheduled for 10:10 a.m.
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Saint-Hubert, Quebec (CSA PR) — Since its installation on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2001, Canadarm2 has performed hundreds of important tasks, including assembling the Station’s modules, keeping the ISS in shipshape, and lending astronauts a hand during spacewalks.
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BRAMPTON, Ont. (MDA PR) — MDA announced today that it has been awarded a contract from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to develop Canadarm3, the third generation Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based robotic system destined for “Gateway”, a lunar-orbiting international space station. The contract involves the award of Phase A of the Canadarm3 program, with options for the follow-on phases.
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LONGUEIUL, Que. (CSA PR) — On December 6, SpaceX’s Dragon cargo ship launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center atop a Falcon 9 rocket, headed for the International Space Station (ISS).
In a first for the cargo vehicle, Dragon will dock to the Station autonomously. Station crew previously used Canadarm2 to “catch” Dragon and berth it to one of the Station’s eight ports.
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WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. (CSA PR) — On September 29, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus cargo ship will blast off from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, headed for the International Space Station (ISS) – the orbiting science lab that has been continuously inhabited for nearly two decades.
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HOUSTON (NASA PR) — Eleven years after the launch of the first H-II Transfer cargo vehicle (HTV) to the International Space Station, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA’s) HTV-9 departed the orbital laboratory today at 1:36 p.m. EDT.
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HOUSTON (NASA PR) — Eleven years after the launch of the first H-II Transfer cargo vehicle (HTV) to the International Space Station, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA’s) HTV-9 will depart the orbital laboratory Tuesday, Aug. 18, with live coverage beginning at 1:15 p.m. EDT on NASA Television and the agency’s website.
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Canadian Space Agency Fact Sheet
| Canadarm The first Canadian robotic arm to go to space | Canadarm2 Servicing the International Space Station since 2001 | Canadarm3Footnote1 An artificial intelligence-based robotic system designed for the Lunar Gateway | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Installed on each Space Shuttle and returned to Earth. Now retired, the Canadarm is on display at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa, Ontario. | Stays permanently in space on board the International Space Station. | Will stay permanently in space on board the Lunar Gateway. |
| Range of motion | Reach limited to length of arm. | Moves end-over-end to reach many parts of the International Space Station, where its anchoring “hand” plugs into a power, data, and video outlet. Because it is mounted on the Mobile Base, the arm can travel the entire length of the Space Station. | Will move end-over-end to reach many parts of the Lunar Gateway, where its anchoring “hand” will plug into a power, data, and video outlet. The arm will be able to travel and bring tools to the entire length of the Lunar Gateway. |
| Fixed joint | Fixed to the shuttle by one end. | No fixed end. | No fixed end. |
| Degrees of freedom | Six degrees of freedom. Similar to a human arm: Two joints in the shoulder One joint in the elbow Three joints in the wrist | Seven degrees of freedom. Very similar to a human arm: Three joints in the shoulderOne joint in the elbow Three joints in the wrist | Seven degrees of freedom. Very similar to a human arm: Three joints in the shoulder One joint in the elbow Three joints in the wrist |
| Joint rotation | Elbow rotation limited to 160 degrees. | Each of Canadarm2’s joints rotate 270 degrees in each direction, a total of 540 degrees. This range of motion is greater than that of a human arm. | Each joint will be able to rotate almost 360 degrees. |
| Senses | No sense of touch. | Force-moment sensors provide a sense of “touch”. Automatic collision avoidance. | Force-moment sensors provide a sense of “touch”. Automatic collision avoidance. 3D Vision Sensor Tool that maps objects around it. |
| Length | 15 m | 17 m | 8.5 m |
| Mass | 410 kg | 1,497 kg | 715 kg (estimation) |
| Diameter | 33 cm (exterior diameter of composite boom) | 35 cm (exterior diameter of composite boom) | 23 cm (exterior diameter of composite boom) |
| Speed of operation | Unloaded: 60 cm/s Loaded: 6 cm/s | Unloaded: 37 cm/s Loaded: 2 cm/s (during ground control) 15 cm/s (support during spacewalks) | Unloaded: 10 cm/s Loaded: to be determined |
| Composition | 16 layers of high-modulus carbon fibre epoxy | 19 layers of high-strength carbon fibre thermoplastic | Carbon fibre composite. |
| Repairs | Repaired on Earth. | Designed to be repaired in space. Composed of removable sections that can be individually replaced in space. | Designed to self-detach sections that can be repaired inside the Lunar Gateway. |
| Control | Controlled by astronauts on the Space Shuttle. | Controlled from the ground or by astronauts on the International Space Station. | Primarily controlled autonomously. Can also be controlled from the ground or by astronauts on the Lunar Gateway. |
| Cameras | Two cameras: One on the elbowOne on the wrist | Four colour cameras:One on each side of the elbow The other two on the “hands” | Six colour 4K cameras: One 360-degree camera on each side of the elbow One on each boom on swivel mounts The other two on the “hands” |
| Operator | United States | Canada and United States | Canada |
Canadian Space Agency Fact Sheet
Canadarm3 will be Canada’s contribution to the US-led Gateway, a lunar outpost that will enable sustainable human exploration of the Moon. This highly autonomous robotic system will use cutting-edge software to perform tasks around the Moon without human intervention.
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COLOGNE, Germany (ESA PR) — After nearly two months of confinement, it is not only school students who are progressively returning to class. ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer also returned to training at ESA’s European Astronaut Centre (EAC), starting with a slightly unusual robotics refresher.
At the end of April, Matthias donned personal protective equipment and maintained 2 m distance from instructors to participate in a training module that prepares astronauts to operate robotic devices like the Canadarm2 on the International Space Station.
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PARIS (ESA PR) — The first European external commercial facility on the International Space Station arrived at its new home last week: the Columbus laboratory module.
Bartolomeo, named after the younger brother of Christopher Columbus, was installed by robotic arm on the forward-facing side of the space laboratory on 2 April 2020.
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OTTAWA, March 26, 2020 (CSA PR) — Today, the Government of Canada issued a new contract to MDA for the continuing operations and maintenance of the Mobile Servicing System, the Canadian Space Agency’s robotics suite—comprised of Canadarm2, Dextre and the Mobile Base System—on the International Space Station (ISS). The contract, worth $190 million, will enable MDA to provide essential engineering and logistics support over the next four years.
The ISS is a test bed and stepping stone to the Moon and Mars. This investment is an opportunity for the Canadian space sector to maintain its international leadership in space robotics as Canada prepares for the next chapter of space exploration, the Lunar Gateway—the cornerstone of Canada’s Space Strategy.
HOUSTON (NASA PR) — As part of the Artemis lunar exploration program, NASA plans to return astronauts to the Moon and use that experience to inform future human exploration of Mars. To safely and comfortably explore for days at a time on the surface of these celestial bodies, astronauts need suitable equipment and places to live. Almost 20 years of human habitation aboard the International Space Station and a growing body of research conducted there are contributing important insights into how to meet these needs for future lunar explorers.
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LONGUEUIL, Quebec (CSA PR) — On December 4, SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft will launch from Cape Canaveral aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, destined for the International Space Station (ISS).
Three days later, European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano and NASA’s Jessica Meir will use Canadarm2 to capture the unpiloted vehicle. Robotics flight controllers will then berth it to the Station, where it is expected to remain for about a month.
The resupply mission includes equipment for ongoing Canadian heart study Vascular Aging:
The upcoming cosmic catch marks a return to more typical activities for the 17-metre-long robotic arm. During recent spacewalks to repair the ISS‘s cosmic particle detector, Canadarm2 served as a support for Parmitano, who was anchored to Canadarm2’s foot restraint. Throughout the operations, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen guided the spacewalkers from the Mission Control Center in Houston.
Live coverage of Dragon’s launch will be available on NASA TV on Dec. 4, beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET. Rendezvous and capture operations will also be broadcast on December 7, starting at 4:30 a.m. ET.
