Do you know what the Canadarm is? Do you know when it was built and launched into space? Do you know what it is used for? In this activity, you will learn more about Canada's contribution of the Canadarm to space exploration.

Space robotics play a key role in exploring planets. They also help maintain equipment and assemble spacecraft in space, as well as assist astronauts to complete many other tasks. Canadian-built and designed robotics were a very important part in building the International Space Station (ISS). They continue to be an important means of inspecting and fixing outer parts of the station.

Canadarm

The Canadarm is our main contribution to the International Space Station. The Canadarm was a remote-controlled mechanical arm, also known as the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System (SRMS). During its 30-year career with NASA’s Space Shuttle Program, the robotic arm captured and repaired satellites, positioned astronauts, maintained equipment, and moved cargo.

The Canadarm’s first flight was with the space shuttle Columbia on November 13, 1981. Columbia was the second of NASA’s shuttle missions.

It performed well and exceeded all design goals. There were no problems with the first deployment of the Canadarm in space. Between 1981 and its final flight in 2011, the Canadarm flew 90 times.

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The best-known tasks carried out with the Canadarm included:

• checking the underside of the shuttle before it returned to Earth
• capturing, repairing, and deploying several satellites, including missions to the Hubble Space Telescope
• docking the space shuttle to the Russian Mir space station
• knocking off ice growths that were causing a blockage to a waste exit on the shuttle
• helping to construct the International Space Station

While the Canadarm retired in July 2011, its legacy lives on: It established Canada’s reputation as a leader in technological innovation and inspired a series of other Canadian robotics used on the International Space Station, including the Canadarm2.

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