The arm can also travel the entire length of the space station on the Mobile Base System. It just has to get close enough for the arm to reel it in safely. NASA’s coverage of this morning’s spacewalk is set to begin at 6:30AM ET, and the event should last well into the afternoon. 3 pieces of string, 12cm long “We are absolutely capable of doing these things.

Photo taken in the 1980s Photo taken in the 1980s In place of a hand, the Canadarm had a cylindrical end effector that allowed the arm to capture stationary or free-flying payloads. The full set up requires four end effectors plus one spare. The range of accessibility of the SSRMS will be limited only by the number of PDGF's strategically installed on the station. The space agency is eager to get this done soon, since the next cargo spacecraft from Orbital ATK is slated to launch to the station in early November. The extent to which Canada benefits from that data depends on federal Industry Minister Navdeep Bains, who has promised to release a long-awaited space strategy in the coming months. The strings will have some slack. Repeat this step twice, evenly spacing the strings around the cut edge of the cups. The latching end effector, or LEE, functions as the equivalent of a hand on the Canadarm 2, allowing it to grasp incoming cargo ships and perform an … “It’s critical the way you line things up,” said Mr. Oshinowo, adding that engineers have tweaked their software over the years to minimize loads on the 17.6 metre arm as it manipulates a free-flying vessel with many times its own mass. Read our, I'm a print subscriber, link to my account, Avoid the use of toxic and offensive language. The SSRMS is equipped with four TV cameras forces and moments to ensure smooth movement of payloads. PDGFs located around the station provide power, data and video to the arm through its Latching End Effectors (LEEs). Then loop it over and tape the other end of the string to the outside of the cup, opposite where the piece was taped to the inside cup. The station arm also has a Readers can also interact with The Globe on Facebook and Twitter . If you are looking to give feedback on our new site, please send it along to, To view this site properly, enable cookies in your browser. Next, the inner part of the end effector retracts, pulling the grapple fixture tight to make a solid connection. The tip of the Canadarm2 robotic arm. This article was published more than 2 years ago. the “Canada Hand”). Investigate technology used in space exploration and build models. What shapes can the end effector grab onto? 2 Styrofoam cups (same size) Think of the End Effector as the Canadarm’s “wrist”… with a twist. This requirement necessitates an innovative design feature which NASA therefore developed a model of the arm for use at its training facility …

Faulty latches could compromise Canadarm2’s ability to capture the vehicle.