Photo: Canadarm3 rendering
Perhaps not as visible as its U.S. counterpart, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has contributed significantly to humanity’s space exploration programs over the decades. The organization has established itself as one of the most trusted (and largest) providers of space robotics systems, and it will continue to do so for future international efforts to explore the solar system. Starting with something called Canadarm3.
The name Canadarm might ring a bell or two, because it's not the first time it's been used. The term first came to prominence during the Space Shuttle's operational days: it supported the spacecraft during 90 missions from 1981 to 2011.
The Canadarm (also known as the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System / SRMS) was, in essence, a robotic arm with the dexterity of a human arm, attached to the Space Shuttle. It was used to unload whatever the orbiter was carrying in its payload bay, capture satellites for repair, and support astronauts during spacewalks, among other things.
The hardware did all this using rotating joints at the shoulder, elbow, and wrist. It was capable of lifting up to 586,000 pounds (266,000 kg) of cargo in microgravity, while being controlled remotely by nearby astronauts.
When the Space Shuttle retired in 2011, so did the Canadarm, but the concept lived on. It is currently operating on the International Space Station (ISS) as Canadarm2.
This 17-meter-long device is used to perform maintenance operations, move supplies and equipment, assist humans during spacewalks, and capture incoming spacecraft to dock with the station.
Photo: NASA/Bradley Reynolds/Alberto Bertolin
The system includes something called an end effector, a device that allows it to grip tightly to whatever it is holding. It can be sent around the station by its operators aboard the space station or on Earth, and can even walk from one end to the other.
When the space station crashes into Earth's atmosphere in 2030, so will Canadarm2, but once again, Canada's space robotics legacy will endure. That's because another version of the robotic arm is in the works, something called Canadarm3.
Next year, NASA and its long list of domestic and international partners will begin sending the first components of the Gateway space station into lunar orbit. It will be humanity’s first outpost yet, the first ever placed in orbit around another world, and a launching pad for our colonization of the Moon and eventually Mars.
Canadarm3 builds on the legacy of previous robotic systems and will be Canada’s largest hardware contribution to the Gateway. It will also be the most advanced version to date, running state-of-the-art software to perform actions never thought possible.
The software will enable the arm to perform autonomous operations without human intervention, but, if necessary, remote control from the station itself or from the ground will also be possible.
The arm will serve as a repair and maintenance tool for the station, will be able to move around the modules that make up the Gateway and will capture incoming spacecraft to attach them to the station. Also helping astronauts during their excursions outside the orbital habitat is on the menu.
Photo: NASA/Bradley Reynolds/Alberto Bertolin
The hardware is smaller than what’s used on the ISS, measuring just 29 feet (8.5 meters) long. There will actually be two arms, with the smaller one attached to the main Canadarm3. The smaller version will be equipped with the tools needed to move things in and out of the station, but will also be able to repair the larger one if the need arises.
The Gateway itself will be equipped with interfaces that will allow the Canadarm3 to protect itself from both ends, gaining immediate access to power, data and video connections.
The Canadarm3 was assembled by Ontario-based MDA Space, a company that is also helping design the Artemis lunar rover, along with Lunar Outpost, Lockheed Martin, General Motors and Goodyear. MDA is also the name behind previous versions of the robotic arm.
The plan is to have the arm ready to deploy on the Gateway no earlier than 2029. The station is expected to be operational a year earlier, which means astronauts will have to do without this piece of equipment for a while.
The CSA isn’t just here for the glory. In exchange for its contribution to the Gateway, Canada will send its first citizen on a mission to the Moon, with astronaut Jeremy Hansen expected to be part of the Artemis II mission scheduled to launch next year. More Canadians will likely join the program on subsequent missions, and we’ll probably even have one or two of them set foot on the Moon.