The European Robotic Arm (ERA) is a robotic arm

Robotic arm

A mechanical arm is a robotic, usually programmable, with similar functions to a human arm. The links of such a manipulator are connected by joints allowing either rotational motion or translational displacement. The links of the manipulator can be considered to form a kinematic chain...

 to be attached to the Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

n Segment of the International Space Station

International Space Station

The International Space Station is a habitable, artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS follows the Salyut, Almaz, Cosmos, Skylab, and Mir space stations, as the 11th space station launched, not including the Genesis I and II prototypes...

. It will be the first robot arm able to work on the Russian space station segments, and will supplement the two Russian Strela

Strela (crane)

The Strela cranes are four cargo cranes used to move cosmonauts and components around the exterior of the Soviet/Russian space station Mir and the Russian Orbital Segment of the International Space Station...

cargo cranes that are already installed on the Pirs module.

Major features and tasks

The ERA has several interesting features. Most prominent are its ability to 'walk' around the exterior of the station under its own control, moving hand-over-hand between pre-fixed basepoints, and its ability to perform many tasks automatically or semi-automatically, thereby freeing its operators to do other work. Specific tasks of ERA include:

• Installation and deployment of solar arrays
• Replacement of solar arrays
• Inspection of the station
• Handling of (external) payloads
• Support of astronaut
  Astronaut
  An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
  
  s during space walks

The International Space Station already features two robotic arms, the first being the Canadarm2, but because of the different types of basepoints and payload mounting units, that arm cannot be used on the Russian segment of the ISS. The other arm is the Japanese Experiment Module

Japanese Experiment Module

The Japanese Experiment Module , also known with the nickname , is a Japanese science module for the International Space Station developed by JAXA. It is the largest single ISS module. The first two pieces of the module were launched on space shuttle missions STS-123 and STS-124...

 Remote Manipulator System (JEM-RMS). The European arm is smaller and less powerful than Canadarm2, and there is no "hand" or Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator planned for it.

Developed for the European Space Agency

European Space Agency

The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...

 (ESA) by a number of European space companies, with Dutch Space as prime contractor and subcontractors in 8 countries, the robot arm will be launched by a Proton rocket, along with the MLM

Multipurpose Laboratory Module

Nauka , also known as the Multipurpose Laboratory Module , , will be a component of the International Space Station , funded by the Russian Federal Space Agency. In the original ISS plans, Nauka was to use the location of the Docking and Stowage Module...

, in March 2012 to be put to work in space by the ISS crew. In 2010, a spare elbow joint for the arm was launched preemptively, attached to the Mini-Research Module 1

Rassvet (ISS module)

Rassvet , also known as the Mini-Research Module 1 and formerly known as the Docking Cargo Module , is a component of the International Space Station . The module's design is similar to the Mir Docking Module launched on STS-74 in 1995. Rassvet is primarily used for cargo storage and as a docking...

 (MRM-1). This module will also serve as home base for ERA; originally, the arm was going to be attached to the Science Power Platform

Science Power Platform

The Science Power Platform was a planned Russian element of the International Space Station that was intended to be delivered to the ISS by a Russian Proton rocket or Zenit rocket but was shifted to launch by Space Shuttle as part as a tradeoff agreement on other parts of the ISS...

.

Control of ERA

Astronaut

Astronaut

An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....

s can control the robot from both inside and outside the space station. Control from inside the space station (Intra Vehicular Activity-Man Machine Interface (IVA-MMI)) uses a laptop

Laptop

A laptop, also called a notebook, is a personal computer for mobile use. A laptop integrates most of the typical components of a desktop computer, including a display, a keyboard, a pointing device and speakers into a single unit...

, which shows a model of the ERA and its surroundings. Control from outside the space station (Extra Vehicular Activity-Man Machine Interface (EVA-MMI)) uses a specially-designed interface that can be used while in a spacesuit.

Arm components

• Two 'limbs': symmetrical arm sections made of carbon fibre, approximately 5 metres long
• Two identical gripper mechanisms (End Effectors ('EE')) also capable of transferring data, power or mechanical actuation to payloads
• Two wrists with three joints each
• One elbow joint
• One central control computer within the arm ('ECC')
• Four camera and lighting units ('CLU')

Project status

• 2005 - final qualification and delivery to the customer
• May 2010 - STS-132
  STS-132
  STS-132 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission, during which Space Shuttle Atlantis docked with the International Space Station on 16 May 2010. STS-132 was launched from the Kennedy Space Center on 14 May 2010. The primary payload was the Russian Rassvet Mini-Research Module, along with an Integrated...
  
  - preemptive launch of a spare elbow joint for ERA to the International Space Station
• March 2012 - Launch of ERA with MLM on a Proton rocket

Technical data

• Total length - 11.3 metres (37.1 ft)
• Launch Mass - 630 kilograms (1,388.9 lb)
• Maximum payload mass - 8000 kilograms (17,637 lb)
• Maximum Tip Speed - 0.1 m/s
• Tip Positioning accuracy - 5 millimetre (0.196850393700787 in)

External links

• European Robotic Arm - ESA's description and specifications of the arm from July 2004
• ERA - Description, with photos, from Dutch Space