SRMS
Encyclopedia
The Shuttle Remote Manipulator System (SRMS), or Canadarm (Canadarm 1), was a mechanical arm used on the Space Shuttle
to maneuver a payload from the payload bay of the orbiter to its deployment position and then release it. It can also grapple a free-flying payload, maneuver it to the payload bay of the orbiter and berth it in the orbiter. It was first used on the second Space Shuttle
mission STS-2
, launched November 13, 1981. Since the destruction
of Space Shuttle Columbia
during STS-107
, NASA
has always paired the Canadarm with the Orbiter Boom Sensor System
(OBSS), a boom containing instruments to inspect the exterior of the shuttle for damage to the thermal protection system
.
The Canadarm is 15.2 metres (50 ft 3 in) long and 38 centimetres (15 inches) in diameter and has six degrees of freedom
. It weighs
410 kg (905 pounds), and the total system weighs 450 kg (994 lb). The Canadarm has six joints that correspond roughly to the joints of the human arm, with shoulder yaw and pitch joints; an elbow pitch joint; and wrist pitch, yaw, and roll joints. The end effector is the unit at the end of the wrist that actually grabs, or grapples, the payload. The two lightweight boom segments are called the upper and lower arms. The upper boom connects the shoulder and elbow joints, and the lower boom connects the elbow and wrist joints. The Canadarm attaches to the orbiter payload bay longeron at the shoulder. Power and data connections are located at the shoulder MPM.
The original Canadarm was capable of deploying or retrieving payloads weighing
up to 32.5 ton
s (65,000 pounds) in space. In the mid 1990s the arm control system was redesigned to increase the payload capability up to 293 tons (586,000 pounds) in order to support space station assembly operations. Although the Canadarm can maneuver massive payloads in space, the arm motors are unable to lift the arm's own weight when on the ground. NASA therefore developed a model of the arm for use at its training facility within the Johnson Space Center located in Houston, Texas. The Canadarm can also retrieve, repair and deploy satellites; provide a mobile extension ladder for extravehicular activity crew members for work stations or foot restraints; and be used as an inspection aid to allow the flight crew members to view the orbiter's or payload's surfaces through a television camera on the Canadarm.
The basic Canadarm configuration consists of a manipulator arm; a Canadarm display and control panel, including rotational and translational hand controllers at the orbiter aft flight deck flight crew station; and a manipulator controller interface unit that interfaces with the orbiter computer. Most of the time the arm operators see what they are doing by looking at the Advanced Space Vision System
screen next to the controllers.
One crew member operates the Canadarm from the aft flight deck control station, and a second crew member usually assists with television camera operations. This allows the Canadarm operator to view Canadarm operations through the aft flight deck payload and overhead windows and through the closed-circuit television monitors at the aft flight deck station.
Ltd., a Canadian
company, designed, developed, tested and built the Canadarm. (SPAR was later indirectly acquired by Richmond, B.C.
based MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates (MDA)
, after going through the hands of American company Orbital Sciences Corp. and becoming a part of MD Robotics in Ontario, Canada.) Three systems were constructed within the Design, Development, Test and Evaluation contract: an Engineering Model to assist in the design and testing of the Canadarm, a Qualification Model that was subjected to environmental testing to "qualify" the design for flight and a Flight Unit. The main controls algorithms were developed by SPAR and by subcontractor Dynacon Inc. of Toronto
. CAE Electronics
Ltd. in Montreal
provided the display and control Panel and the hand controllers located in the Shuttle aft flight deck. Other electronic interfaces, servoamplifiers and power conditioners located on the Canadarm were designed and built by SPAR at its Montreal factory. The graphite composite boom that provides the structural connection between the shoulder and the elbow joint and the similar boom that connects the elbow to the wrist were produced by General Dynamics in the U.S. Dilworth, Secord, Meagher and Associates Ltd. in Toronto was contracted to produce the Engineering model end effector then SPAR evolved the design and produced the Qualification and Flight units. The Shuttle flight software that monitors and controls the Canadarm was developed in Houston, Texas, by the Federal Systems Division of IBM
. Rockwell International's Space Transportation Systems Division designed, developed, tested and built the systems used to attach the Canadarm to the payload bay of the orbiter.
In all, five arms (arm 201, 202, 301, 302, and 303) were built and delivered to NASA. Three arms are currently in operation, with arm 302 lost in the Challenger accident.
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The Canadarm was first used on STS-2
in 1981, on board Columbia
, and has subsequently been used on over 50 shuttle missions. Arms have been installed on the four other shuttles - it was first flown on board Challenger
during STS-7
in 1983, and then in 1984 on Discovery
during STS-41-D
, which was Discovery's first flight. It was used on Atlantis
first during STS-61-B
. Canadarm 302 was lost during the Challenger disaster
in 1986. A Canadarm was next used on Endeavour
during STS-49
, that vessel's first flight.
Since the installation of the Canadarm2 on the International Space Station
, the two arms have been used to hand over segments of the station for assembly from the Canadarm to the Canadarm2; the use of both elements in tandem has earned the nickname of 'Canadian Handshake' in the media.
, while the SRMS will go for display in the Canadian Space Agency's headquarters.
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
to maneuver a payload from the payload bay of the orbiter to its deployment position and then release it. It can also grapple a free-flying payload, maneuver it to the payload bay of the orbiter and berth it in the orbiter. It was first used on the second Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
mission STS-2
STS-2
STS-2 was a Space Shuttle mission conducted by NASA, using the Space Shuttle Columbia. The mission launched on 12 November 1981. It was the second shuttle mission overall, and was also the second mission for Columbia...
, launched November 13, 1981. Since the destruction
Space Shuttle Columbia disaster
The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occurred on February 1, 2003, when shortly before it was scheduled to conclude its 28th mission, STS-107, the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas and Louisiana during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, resulting in the death of all seven crew members...
of Space Shuttle Columbia
Space Shuttle Columbia
Space Shuttle Columbia was the first spaceworthy Space Shuttle in NASA's orbital fleet. First launched on the STS-1 mission, the first of the Space Shuttle program, it completed 27 missions before being destroyed during re-entry on February 1, 2003 near the end of its 28th, STS-107. All seven crew...
during STS-107
STS-107
-Mission parameters:*Mass:**Orbiter Liftoff: **Orbiter Landing: **Payload: *Perigee: *Apogee: *Inclination: 39.0°*Period: 90.1 min- Insignia :...
, NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
has always paired the Canadarm with the Orbiter Boom Sensor System
Orbiter Boom Sensor System
The Orbiter Boom Sensor System is a 50-foot boom carried on board NASA's Space Shuttles. The boom can be grappled by the Canadarm and serves as an extension of the arm, doubling its length to a combined total of 100 feet...
(OBSS), a boom containing instruments to inspect the exterior of the shuttle for damage to the thermal protection system
Space shuttle thermal protection system
The Space Shuttle thermal protection system is the barrier that protects the Space Shuttle Orbiter during the searing heat of atmospheric reentry...
.
Specifications
Degrees of freedom (engineering)
In mechanics, degrees of freedom are the set of independent displacements and/or rotations that specify completely the displaced or deformed position and orientation of the body or system...
. It weighs
Weight
In science and engineering, the weight of an object is the force on the object due to gravity. Its magnitude , often denoted by an italic letter W, is the product of the mass m of the object and the magnitude of the local gravitational acceleration g; thus:...
410 kg (905 pounds), and the total system weighs 450 kg (994 lb). The Canadarm has six joints that correspond roughly to the joints of the human arm, with shoulder yaw and pitch joints; an elbow pitch joint; and wrist pitch, yaw, and roll joints. The end effector is the unit at the end of the wrist that actually grabs, or grapples, the payload. The two lightweight boom segments are called the upper and lower arms. The upper boom connects the shoulder and elbow joints, and the lower boom connects the elbow and wrist joints. The Canadarm attaches to the orbiter payload bay longeron at the shoulder. Power and data connections are located at the shoulder MPM.
Capabilities
Mass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
up to 32.5 ton
Ton
The ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...
s (65,000 pounds) in space. In the mid 1990s the arm control system was redesigned to increase the payload capability up to 293 tons (586,000 pounds) in order to support space station assembly operations. Although the Canadarm can maneuver massive payloads in space, the arm motors are unable to lift the arm's own weight when on the ground. NASA therefore developed a model of the arm for use at its training facility within the Johnson Space Center located in Houston, Texas. The Canadarm can also retrieve, repair and deploy satellites; provide a mobile extension ladder for extravehicular activity crew members for work stations or foot restraints; and be used as an inspection aid to allow the flight crew members to view the orbiter's or payload's surfaces through a television camera on the Canadarm.
The basic Canadarm configuration consists of a manipulator arm; a Canadarm display and control panel, including rotational and translational hand controllers at the orbiter aft flight deck flight crew station; and a manipulator controller interface unit that interfaces with the orbiter computer. Most of the time the arm operators see what they are doing by looking at the Advanced Space Vision System
Advanced Space Vision System
The Advanced Space Vision System is a computer vision system designed primarily for International Space Station assembly...
screen next to the controllers.
One crew member operates the Canadarm from the aft flight deck control station, and a second crew member usually assists with television camera operations. This allows the Canadarm operator to view Canadarm operations through the aft flight deck payload and overhead windows and through the closed-circuit television monitors at the aft flight deck station.
Development
SPAR AerospaceSpar Aerospace
SPAR Aerospace was a Canadian aerospace company. It produced equipment for the Canadian Space Agency to be used in cooperation with NASA's Space Shuttle program, most notably the Canadarm remote manipulator system....
Ltd., a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
company, designed, developed, tested and built the Canadarm. (SPAR was later indirectly acquired by Richmond, B.C.
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
based MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates (MDA)
MacDonald Dettwiler
MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. is a Richmond, British Columbia-based Canadian aerospace, information services and products company, employing over 3000 people throughout Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, under the MDA brand name....
, after going through the hands of American company Orbital Sciences Corp. and becoming a part of MD Robotics in Ontario, Canada.) Three systems were constructed within the Design, Development, Test and Evaluation contract: an Engineering Model to assist in the design and testing of the Canadarm, a Qualification Model that was subjected to environmental testing to "qualify" the design for flight and a Flight Unit. The main controls algorithms were developed by SPAR and by subcontractor Dynacon Inc. of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. CAE Electronics
CAE (company)
CAE Inc. is a leading provider of simulation technologies, modelling technologies and integrated training services to airlines, aircraft manufacturers, and defense customers worldwide. The company has annual revenues in excess of CAD $1.6 billion, with manufacturing operations and training...
Ltd. in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
provided the display and control Panel and the hand controllers located in the Shuttle aft flight deck. Other electronic interfaces, servoamplifiers and power conditioners located on the Canadarm were designed and built by SPAR at its Montreal factory. The graphite composite boom that provides the structural connection between the shoulder and the elbow joint and the similar boom that connects the elbow to the wrist were produced by General Dynamics in the U.S. Dilworth, Secord, Meagher and Associates Ltd. in Toronto was contracted to produce the Engineering model end effector then SPAR evolved the design and produced the Qualification and Flight units. The Shuttle flight software that monitors and controls the Canadarm was developed in Houston, Texas, by the Federal Systems Division of IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
. Rockwell International's Space Transportation Systems Division designed, developed, tested and built the systems used to attach the Canadarm to the payload bay of the orbiter.
In all, five arms (arm 201, 202, 301, 302, and 303) were built and delivered to NASA. Three arms are currently in operation, with arm 302 lost in the Challenger accident.
Usage
STS-2
STS-2 was a Space Shuttle mission conducted by NASA, using the Space Shuttle Columbia. The mission launched on 12 November 1981. It was the second shuttle mission overall, and was also the second mission for Columbia...
in 1981, on board Columbia
Space Shuttle Columbia
Space Shuttle Columbia was the first spaceworthy Space Shuttle in NASA's orbital fleet. First launched on the STS-1 mission, the first of the Space Shuttle program, it completed 27 missions before being destroyed during re-entry on February 1, 2003 near the end of its 28th, STS-107. All seven crew...
, and has subsequently been used on over 50 shuttle missions. Arms have been installed on the four other shuttles - it was first flown on board Challenger
Space Shuttle Challenger
Space Shuttle Challenger was NASA's second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service, Columbia having been the first. The shuttle was built by Rockwell International's Space Transportation Systems Division in Downey, California...
during STS-7
STS-7
STS-7 was a NASA Space Shuttle mission, during which Space Shuttle Challenger deployed several satellites into orbit. The shuttle launched from Kennedy Space Center on 18 June 1983, and landed at Edwards Air Force Base on 24 June. STS-7 was the seventh shuttle mission, and was Challengers second...
in 1983, and then in 1984 on Discovery
Space Shuttle Discovery
Space Shuttle Discovery is one of the retired orbiters of the Space Shuttle program of NASA, the space agency of the United States, and was operational from its maiden flight, STS-41-D on August 30, 1984, until its final landing during STS-133 on March 9, 2011...
during STS-41-D
STS-41-D
STS-41-D was the first flight of NASA's Space Shuttle orbiter Discovery. It was the 12th mission of the Space Shuttle program, and was launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on 30 August 1984...
, which was Discovery's first flight. It was used on Atlantis
Space Shuttle Atlantis
The Space Shuttle Atlantis is a retired Space Shuttle orbiter in the Space Shuttle fleet belonging to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration , the spaceflight and space exploration agency of the United States...
first during STS-61-B
STS-61-B
STS-61-B was NASA's 23rd Space Shuttle mission, and its second using Space Shuttle Atlantis. The shuttle was launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on 26 November 1985. During STS-61-B, the shuttle crew deployed three communications satellites, and tested techniques of constructing...
. Canadarm 302 was lost during the Challenger disaster
Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, leading to the deaths of its seven crew members. The spacecraft disintegrated over the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of central Florida at 11:38 am EST...
in 1986. A Canadarm was next used on Endeavour
Space Shuttle Endeavour
Space Shuttle Endeavour is one of the retired orbiters of the Space Shuttle program of NASA, the space agency of the United States. Endeavour was the fifth and final spaceworthy NASA space shuttle to be built, constructed as a replacement for Challenger...
during STS-49
STS-49
-Mission parameters:*Mass:**Orbiter landing with payload: **Payload: *Perigee: *Apogee: *Inclination: 28.35°*Period: 90.6 min-Space walks:* Thuot and Hieb – EVA 1*EVA 1 Start: 10 May 1992 – 20:40 UTC...
, that vessel's first flight.
Since the installation of the Canadarm2 on 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...
, the two arms have been used to hand over segments of the station for assembly from the Canadarm to the Canadarm2; the use of both elements in tandem has earned the nickname of 'Canadian Handshake' in the media.
Retirement
Both Discovery and Atlantis SRMS and OBSS will be left for their museum display. Endeavour left its OBSS at the International Space Station as part of its final missionSTS-134
STS-134 was the penultimate mission of NASA's Space Shuttle program. The mission marked the 25th and final flight of . This flight delivered the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer and an ExPRESS Logistics Carrier to the International Space Station. Mark Kelly served as the mission commander...
, while the SRMS will go for display in the Canadian Space Agency's headquarters.
See also
- Canadarm2, a mechanical arm that is part of the International Space StationInternational Space StationThe 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...
's Mobile Servicing SystemMobile Servicing SystemThe Mobile Servicing System , better known by its primary component Canadarm2, is a robotic system and associated equipment on the International Space Station... - Dextre
- MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates (MDA)MacDonald DettwilerMacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. is a Richmond, British Columbia-based Canadian aerospace, information services and products company, employing over 3000 people throughout Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, under the MDA brand name....
, the makers of Canadarm - European Robotic ArmEuropean Robotic ArmThe European Robotic Arm is a robotic arm to be attached to the Russian Segment of the International Space Station. It will be the first robot arm able to work on the Russian space station segments, and will supplement the two Russian Strela cargo cranes that are already installed on the Pirs...
, a second robotic arm to be installed on the ISS - Japanese armJapanese Experiment ModuleThe 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...
on the ISS, part of the Japanese module "Kibo" - Space Shuttle programSpace Shuttle programNASA's Space Shuttle program, officially called Space Transportation System , was the United States government's manned launch vehicle program from 1981 to 2011...
External links
- http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/technology/sts-newsref/sts-caws.html#sts-deploy
- http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/canadarm/default.asp
- CBC Digital Archives - Canadarm - A Technology Star