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Canadian RMS 1984
Canadian RMS 1984
Canadian Remote Manipulator System. This illustration from 1985 shows the Solar Max satellite undergoing servicing at the "Power Tower" Space Station's Integrated Servicing and Test Facility.

Credit: NASA via Marcus Lindroos. 66,222 bytes. 639 x 480 pixels.

Nation: Canada.

The 1987 Space Station redesign greatly increased the importance of the Canadian contribution to the international project. Canada joined the project in March 1985 and initially proposed an 'Integrated Servicing and Test Facility' that would have consisted of two robotic arms plus satellite repair facilities. When the Space Station plan was changed in 1987, its satellite servicing element was postponed indefinitely. The Canadian robotic arm was now necessary for assembling the Station itself, since the Shuttle's existing 'Canadarm' manipulator only could handle 29.5t loads. The redesigned 'Canadian Mobile Servicing Center' would be used to dock the Shuttle and, possibly, payloads launched on expendable launchers to the Station.

Canadian RMSCanadian RMS - Canadian Remote Manipulator System. This illustration shows the launch of the first Space Station "Freedom" element, including the Canadian Mobile Servicing Center. The US was originally to provide a movable platform for the MSC, but this was cancelled in 1988 for budgetary reasons.

Credit: NASA via Marcus Lindroos. 47,951 bytes. 640 x 478 pixels.

The US was originally to provide a movable platform for the MSC, but this was cancelled in 1988 for budgetary reasons. The 1993 International Space Station redesign delayed the launch of the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (as it now was called) by at least four years, but the SSRMS remains a crucial part of ISS. In 1994, the Canadians considered cancelling the project despite already having spent $500 million on it. The fate of the SSRMS' $150-million robotic 'hand', or Special Multipurpose Dextrous Manipulator, was unclear until April 1997 when the Canadian government announced it would be developed after all. The total cost of the project will be $1 billion.

Canadian RMS 1984Canadian RMS 1984 - Canadian Remote Manipulator System.

Credit: NASA via Marcus Lindroos. 21,790 bytes. 564 x 456 pixels.

Article by Marcus Lindroos
Specification

Canadian RMS 1989Canadian RMS 1989 - Canadian Remote Manipulator System. The redesigned "Canadian Mobile Servicing Center" would be used to dock the Shuttle and, possibly, payloads launched on expendable launchers to the Station.

Credit: NASA via Marcus Lindroos. 39,386 bytes. 640 x 413 pixels.

Canadian RMS 1994Canadian RMS 1994 - Canadian Remote Manipulator System. The 1993 International Space Station redesign delayed the launch of the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (as it now was called) by at least four years, but the SSRMS remains a crucial part of ISS

Credit: NASA via Marcus Lindroos. 28,321 bytes. 320 x 240 pixels.

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Last update 12 March 2001.
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© Mark Wade, 2001 .