MDA's Robotic Arm to Service Hubble

MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd has announced that its giant robotic arm, permanently mounted atop U.S. Space Shuttle programs since 1981, will pluck the Hubble Space Telescope from its current orbit, place it within Space Shuttle Atlantis’ cargo section for its final maintenance and upgrade, and finally reposition it back in orbit for its journey to boldly go where no man has gone before.

 

The arm is also technically known as the “Shuttle Remote Manipulator System,” and commonly known as the “Canadarm” (short for Canadian Arm). The first Canadarm was delivered free to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), installed and sent with the U.S. Space Shuttle Columbia in 1981.

 

The historic, 11-day space flight to service Hubble started on May 11, is the 126th of all Shuttle flights made to date; the flight number is registered as HST SM-04 that means Hubble Space Telescope Service Mission No. 4, and could be the last non International Space Station linked flight.

 

During the flight, MDA (News - Alert) officials say that Candarm will also be used to ensure the safety of the Atlantis crew. It will first comprehensively inspect the Shuttle’s thermal protection system and crew cabin to check and certify that no damage has occurred during launch.

Apropos to the shuttle’s inspection and once Atlantis maintains a steady 35-foot distance from the telescope, the arm will reach out, hold Hubble and place it in the Cargo bay. The Canadarm will also assist the astronauts during 5 space walks to service, upgrade and expand the capabilities of Hubble.

 

On completion of servicing, the SRMS will then reposition the telescope to its prior location, and recheck the Shuttle’s thermal protection system, including its wing leading edge panels, nose cap and underside tiles. In case there is any damage, then additional robotics applications from MDA are on stand-by to rectify the problem.

 

The arm has a shoulder, elbow, and wrist joint that are separated by an upper arm and lower arm boom. The shoulder joint has 2 degrees of freedom (horizontal and vertical), the elbow joint has two degrees of freedom (either inward or outward), and the wrist has three degrees of freedom (horizontal, vertical and rotational). It is 15.2 meters long, weighs about 411 kilograms (kgs) and the latest upgrade can lift a payload of 266,000 kgs in zero gravity. On the lighter side (well, heavier side, really), it cannot lift a cup of cappuccino on the Earth’s surface.

 

Robotics are also being used in microscopic, pin-point accuracy, reported TMCnet, insertion and navigation of catheters within the human body to rectify differently beating hearts, or arrhythmias. And another robotics first time display, reported TMCnet, demonstrated a first generation prototype robot capable of following receiving, interpreting and responding accurately to hand signals, body motion and verbal commands.