A Canadian robotic arm at the World Area Station is days from a large milestone.MDA Area’s Canadarm2 will have fun its fiftieth cosmic catch no previous than Aug. 5, when a Northrop Grumman Cygnus shipment send berths with the World Area Station (ISS) with 1000’s of kilos of experiments, provides and meals for the Expedition 71 astronauts, the Canadian Area Company (CSA) introduced nowadays (Aug. 2).Cygnus will release to the ISS no previous than 11:29 a.m. EDT (0329 GMT) on Aug. 3, and you’ll be able to watch the undertaking right here at Area.com, courtesy of NASA+, previously NASA Tv. If Cygnus launches on time, can be captured by means of Canadarm2 and can dock with the ISS on Aug. 5 at roughly 3:55 a.m. EDT (0755 GMT). Protection will get started at 2:30 a.m. EDT (0630 GMT) on NASA+.Canadarm2, controlled by means of MDA Area below CSA investment, was once first introduced to area April 19, 2001 on area travel undertaking STS-100. Challenge astronaut Chris Hadfield carried out the first-ever CSA spacewalks to put in the arm, a milestone celebrated by means of enjoying the Canadian nationwide anthem in area and jokingly relating to fellow spacewalker Scott Parazynski (of NASA) as “an honorary Canadian.”The arm’s first spacecraft catch was once on Sept. 17, 2009 when it captured Japan’s HTV-1 (“HTV”, a now-retired shipment spacecraft sequence, stood for H-II Switch Car). Within the 15 years since, spacecraft berthing with Canadarm2 ranged from SpaceX’s Shipment Dragon to Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus.Canadarm2 paperwork a part of a sequence of Canadian robot palms in accordance with generations of telescoping tube generation noticed in area examples starting from extendable antennas to the Apollo program’s lunar legs, consistent with “Canadarm and Collaboration” (Elizabeth Howell, ECW Press, 2020.) 
Canadian Area Company (CSA) astronaut Chris Hadfield all through the set up of Canadarm2 in April 2001, at the World Area Station. (Symbol credit score: NASA)Canadarm was once first flown in area Nov. 12, 1981 all through travel undertaking STS-2 with Spar Aerospace and Canada’s Nationwide Analysis Council (the federal government council that controlled astronauts ahead of the CSA was once shaped in 1989). Canadarm was once used for spacewalking, a number of Hubble Area Telescope missions and a few impromptu maneuvers similar to knocking an ice plug off a frozen travel drain line, consistent with NASA.Breaking area information, the most recent updates on rocket launches, skywatching occasions and extra!Canadarm’s good fortune in area allowed the NRC, after which CSA, to pay for astronaut seats at the travel because the robotic arm supplied a web get advantages to NASA actions in orbit. (The primary Canadian astronaut, then with NRC, was once Marc Garneau aboard STS-41G in October 1983.) That astronaut association has endured to the current day, and can proceed with the long run Artemis program missions to the moon.Comparable: Artemis 2’s Canadian astronaut were given their moon undertaking seat with ‘potato salad’
NASA astronaut Scott Parazynski all through a tough World Area Station sun array restore in 2007. The spacewalk required each Canadarm2 and an extender tailored from Canadarm itself; the extender is visual within the image. (Symbol credit score: NASA)MDA Area (then MDA) introduced the gap robotics department of Spar Aerospace in 1999, consistent with the Nationwide Submit. MDA Area’s Canadarm2 has been operational since 2001, starring in a tough and near-emergency spacewalk by means of Parazynski in 2007 that noticed him mend a torn sun panel with tailored equipment. Canadarm2 extra usually helped construct the ISS along Canadarm, and continues to function in ISS repairs spacewalks. A CSA-funded robot helper by means of MDA Area, Dextre, introduced in 2008 for extra subtle ISS repairs duties.Lately, the Canadarm2 staff has won such a lot accept as true with with NASA that many duties at the moment are licensed to be performed in flooring keep an eye on amenities at CSA headquarters close to Montreal, Quebec. And CSA was once invited to enroll in Artemis in 2019 by means of supplying a brand new robot arm, Canadarm3. MDA Area won a sequence of Canadarm3 contracts and is finalizing its design for an anticipated 2029 release to enhance NASA’s Gateway area station on the moon.NASA was once stalwart in pronouncing the CSA was once recognized for its dependable facet dish of robotics, Podwalski informed Area.com in 2023. Robotics is a strategic spend at the a part of an area company that has a tiny, $300 million ($413 million CAD) annual funds relative to NASA’s $25.4 billion in 2025. With the exception of area, robotics can be repurposed for scientific and mining wishes in far flung spaces of Canada, making it one more reason to put money into the generation.
Canadian Area Company astronaut Jeremy Hansen dressed in his spacesuit for the Artemis 2 moon undertaking. (Symbol credit score: NASA)Canadarm3 funded CSA astronaut Jeremy Hansen’s round-the-moon seat aboard the Artemis 2 undertaking, making him the 1st Canadian to go away low Earth orbit. His 2025 undertaking with 3 NASA astronauts would be the first of an expected sequence of CSA Artemis missions to Gateway and most likely to the moon’s floor itself.Ken Podwalski, CSA govt director of the Gateway program, has been commanding Canadian area robotics for many of his profession. He was once concerned within the negotiations for Hansen’s seat, which took 4 years to procure as each NASA and CSA coverage priorities needed to align at the subject, and investment to be received.In an interview, Podwalski likened the CSA robotics to fantastic “potato salad” created to counterpoint different major dishes in a dinner party.”Everyone expects Canada to carry the potato salad,” Podwalksi informed Area.com 2023, in a while ahead of Hansen’s seat was once introduced that April 3. And he stated it was once imaginable to building up different moon techniques from that: “The potato salad will get you within the door, no downside […] and it does not prevent you from bringing anything. You are now part of the celebration. Now is a great time to carry up different issues.”To make sure, CSA has different approach of investment past its annual funds: it companions with different Canadian govt companies and with trade to stretch its greenbacks additional, for instance. It has additionally won repeated billion-dollar-scale infusions of one-time govt investment for Artemis in recent times.CSA’s different moon contracts come with investment a mini-rover for science and software rover for Artemis astronaut shipment, in addition to a sequence of moon-related applied sciences in particular all in favour of moon science, astronaut well being and suitable deep-space meals.
