The Canadarm and Canadarm2 are considered the crown jewels of the CSA (Canadian Space Agency) and the Canadarm is what allowed the CSA to gain international attention and be recognized as an important asset in space exploration as a whole.
When was Canadarm first used/ constructed?
Construction on the Canadarm started in July, 1975, and it was first used on November 12, 1981, for the second space shuttle mission on STS (Space Transportation System) 2. It continued to serve until STS 135 on June 8, 2011, the last space shuttle mission ever.
Canadarm2 was installed on the International Space Station by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield on STS 100 on April 19, 2001, and is in orbit to this day.
Canadarm2 was installed on the International Space Station by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield on STS 100 on April 19, 2001, and is in orbit to this day.
Who/what created Canadarm?
A Canadian inventor named George Klein born on August 15, 1904 helped develop the Canadarm, while the CSA constructed all of the Canadarms.
How does the Canadarm work?
The Canadarm is the most complex construction tool of all time and needs many systems to sustain itself. These include:
The following systems are unique to Canadarm2:
- It's joints, or JOD's allow the Canadarm to simulate a human arm and give the Canadarm astounding flexibility, allowing it to snake through places that would be difficult to fit an astronaut through
- The booms (long rods) are constructed out of 16 layers of extra thin graphite-epoxy (each layer is 0.013 cm thick) and provide the Canadarm with the necessary reach
- The wiring harness, a device that supplies the whole arm with electricity, collects data from the arm and sends it back to mission control and the operator of Canadarm
- The end effector, essentially a large, robotic hand that helps capture modules and payloads outside of the Spacecraft
- The CCTV (closed circuit television) allows the Canadarm operator to see what is going on
The following systems are unique to Canadarm2:
- Canadarm2 is longer and it has "touch sensors" that allow it to grip objects more effectively, send more information to the operator and allow the Canadarm to self correct from mistakes that the operator makes
- Canadarm2 is made out of 19 layers of Carbon-fibre thermoplastic which is stronger and better fits the needs of the Canadarm2 than the material used on the original Canadarm
How much did Canadarm 1 and 2 cost to build?
The Canadarm 1 and 2 took years of development to create and countless hours to maintain, and therefore are very expensive.
- Canadarm had a cost of around 100 million dollars per unit
- The Canadarm program had a cost of around 600 million dollars including maintenance and testing
- The Canadarm2 had a cost of around the same as the original Canadarm including maintenance and construction
What Contributions Did the Canadarm have to space?
The Canadarm and Canadarm2 have had a tremendous impact on space exploration and have helped with some of the most important projects ever. these include :
- The original Canadarm and Canadarm2 both helped in building the international space station ( ISS )
- Canadarm helped the space shuttle program succeed
- Canadarm2 catches resupply craft for the ISS
- Canadarm helped the space shuttle dock with Mir , a Russian space station and made the first Russia- USA space collaboration possible
- Canadarm helped over 90 space missions to succeed
- Canadarm2 helped attach Dextre , another piece of Canadian technology to the ISS
Pros and Cons of Canadarm 1 and 2
Canadarm and Canadarm2 were the first of their kind and since these "space cranes" have not had enough time to be perfected yet, they have many cons in addition to their benefits.
Pros of Canadarm:
Cons of Canadarm:
Pros of Canadarm2:
Cons of Canadarm2:
Pros of Canadarm:
- Allowed astronauts to remain inside their vehicle instead of having to perform a spacewalk in some situations
- Saved months of training needed for a spacewalk
- Could get through places where an astronaut could not
- Assisted astronauts during spacewalks
- Huge loads could now be moved around without too much difficulty
- The technology could be used as a way to clean nuclear power stations in the future
- Canadarm technology could be used in disaster relief
Cons of Canadarm:
- Added extra weight to space shuttle making a need for extra fuel
- required hundreds of millions of dollars to operate
- Moved incredibly slowly
- Did not have full range of motion, making the Canadarm useless in some situations
Pros of Canadarm2:
- Has full range of motion
- Assists astronauts in spacewalks
- Can attach modules onto the ISS (International Space Station)
- Can replace the need for a spacewalk in some situations
- Technology from Canadarm2 could be used in performing some surgeries in the future
Cons of Canadarm2:
- Relies heavily on computer technology to operate and if one thing were to malfunction, the entire arm might shut down
- Is not long enough to perform operations on all parts of the station
- Operator can still make mistakes that may compromise a mission
Other Interesting information about Canadarm
- In orbit, the Canadarm can lift up to 266 000 kg but on earth it cannot even support its own weight
- The Canadarm2 has a maximum speed of 60 cm per second
- Canadarm was 15 meters long
- Canadarm2 was 17.5 meters long
- they both weighed around 1800 kilograms
- the Canadarm2 has 15 joints
- the Canadarm2 is controlled from the Cupola, the room with the largest window in space
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Bibliography
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/canadarm/
http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/iss/canadarm2/Default.asp
http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/canadarm/Default.asp
https://www.space.com/22534-canadian-space-agency.html
http://casmuseum.techno-science.ca/en/whats-on/exhibition-legacy-of-the-canadarm.php
http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/iss/canadarm2/Default.asp
http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/canadarm/Default.asp
https://www.space.com/22534-canadian-space-agency.html
http://casmuseum.techno-science.ca/en/whats-on/exhibition-legacy-of-the-canadarm.php