{"id":37992,"date":"2019-06-28T21:03:48","date_gmt":"2019-06-28T13:03:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/the-busy-life-of-the-space-station-robots\/"},"modified":"2019-06-28T21:03:48","modified_gmt":"2019-06-28T13:03:48","slug":"the-busy-life-of-the-space-station-robots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/the-busy-life-of-the-space-station-robots\/","title":{"rendered":"The busy life of the Space Station Robots"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Space Station\u2019s Canadian robotic arms have enjoyed another busy month, starting with the release of a SpaceX Dragon and ending with the deployment of a microsat. The Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) \u2013 best known as Dextre \u2013 is also looking forward to NASA\u2019s Robotic Refueling Mission 3 (RRM3), while it was recently announced that the Canadian Space Agency will build an advanced robotic arm for NASA\u2019s Lunar Gateway.<\/p>\n

Canada\u2019s robotic contributions to human space flight cannot be overstated.<\/p>\n

While most followers of space flight will be aware of the robotic arms at work on the ISS, not least via their star role in capturing spacecraft arriving at the orbital outpost, it was their role with the Space Shuttle that both vastly increased the capability of those missions and later their safety.<\/p>\n

The SRMS (Shuttle Remote Manipulator System) \u2013 also known as Canadarm \u2013 was first tested with the Space Shuttle during Columbia\u2019s STS-2 mission.<\/p>\n

It went on to aid numerous tasks, from deploying payloads to providing assistance to spacewalks and not least on Hubble servicing missions, during which the space telescope would be grappled and pulled into the cargo bay, before moving to assist a string of EVAs to upgrade the hardware.<\/p>\n

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SRMS assisting Story Musgrave during the STS-61 mission \u2013 via NASA<\/p>\n

Five arms were constructed for the fleet \u2013 Nos. 201, 202, 301, 302, and 303. The 50 foot long arm flew on 90 Shuttle missions over the course of the Shuttle era.<\/p>\n

Following the loss of Columbia during STS-107, another 50 foot boom was added to the orbiter fleet on the opposite side of the cargo bay. The Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) hosted a suite of cameras and sensors allowing for surveys of the vehicle\u2019s Thermal Protection System (TPS).<\/p>\n

Two instrumentation packages were sensor package 1 \u2013 a Laser Dynamic Range Imager (LDRI) and an Intensified Television Camera (ITVC). Sensor package 2 was a Laser Camera System (LCS) and a digital camera (IDC).<\/p>\n<\/p>\n