Christopher Langdon (grade 9) - Hillview Academy, NF
	Mario Ladouceur (grade 3) - Sidney Street School, SK

Canadian Space Agency Astronaut Chris Hadfield compared Canadarm2 to the human arm. Canadarm2 has a long section from the shoulder to the elbow and a second section of lower arm and a wrist, which can move left, right, up, down and rotate. Instead of a hand on the end of the wrist, there is a grapple mechanism, which is like a cylinder that spins wires around a post to hold onto things like a Space Station Module.

The gears and motors of Canadarm2 are made of stainless steel while the hinges and joints are made of aluminium. The booms—or segments—of the arm are made of 19 plies of high strength composite carbon fibres and high performance thermoplastic resin or PEEK. These materials were specially chosen to maintain the life and functionality of Canadarm2 in the hostile environment of space. On top of all this the arm has a protective blanket called the Multilayer Insulation (MLI), which is used to control heat transfer rates. Just as home insulation prevents heat from entering or escaping, an MLI blanket performs the same function for Canadarm2.

	Christopher Langdon (grade 9) - Hillview Academy, NF
	Mario Ladouceur (grade 3) - Sidney Street School, SK

Right now Canadarm2 is attached, at the shoulder, to the Destiny module of the International Space Station. Once the Mobile Servicer base is transported to the Space Station, Canadarm2 will have the run of the Space Station! The base will transport the robot arm to different points along the entire length of the Station. Even more interesting is that once a set of six Power Data Grapple Fixtures (picture giant upside-down thumbtacks) are attached to the Station, Canadarm2 will be able to move along the outside of the Station by itself, somewhat like an inchworm. One of the robot's grapplers, found at each end of the arm, will clamp down on a Grapple Fixture while the other grappler is free to pick up objects.

If Canadarm2 needs to "walk" or move further along the Station, it will use a flipping motion. Click here to see an animation that shows exactly how Canadarm2 'inches' its way to work!

Bradyn Golda - Steinhauer School, AB

It took nearly 20 years for the people who came up with the unique Canadarm2 concept, to bring its metal and electronic components together to make the newest and most complex space technology in space today.

Isthe Canadarm2 easier to work than the first Canadarm?

Trent Winzer (grade 3) - Sidney Street School, SK

Canadarm2 and the first Canadarm are two very different robot arms. They were each created for different reasons and therefore have different work objectives. For example, the Canadarm has reached up into space to grab satellites that needed repairs and to insert others into orbit. It has also been used to loosen a jammed solar panel and to knock ice off of a Shuttle’s wastewater dumping vents. Unlike Canadarm2, it is always attached to the shuttle payload bay at the shoulder and is controlled from inside the Space Shuttle.

Canadarm2 was manufactured to help build and maintain the International Space Station. It is bigger than the original Canadarm and its joints are offset (non-linear) providing it with greater circumference of motion. Over its lifetime, it will reach out to the Canadarm, grab hold of the Space Station modules that make up the core of the orbiting laboratory and install them while it, the modules and the Space Station are all moving at almost 30,000 km/hour. It will also be able to detach its shoulder and reattach it to a Grapple Fixture (picture an upside-down thumbtack) at another point on the Space Station, inching end over enormous end to maintain the Space Station in working order.

Delaney Drever (grade3) - Sidney Street School, SK

There are a few differences between the two arms.

The first is that Canadarm2 has more flexibility than the Canadarm. That’s because it has a greater number of joints (7 rather than 6) which are also offset (not linear) giving it increased capabilities for bending, rotating, and getting to those hard-to-reach places on the external portion of the Space Station! Canadarm has one free "hand" known as an end effector to grasp objects, while Canadarm2 has two end effectors! Finally, unlike the Canadarm, which returns to Earth after every Shuttle mission, Canadarm2 will probably never return to Earth. It will stay on the Space Station for the duration of the Station’s life span.

Why did Canada build a brand new arm?

Travis Carr (grade 5) - Lucy Maud Montgomery School, PEI

Canadarm2 and the first Canadarm are two very different robot arms. They were each created to satisfy different work objectives. The original Canadarm was built as a crane, capable of reaching out to satellites that needed to be repaired, to loosen a jammed solar panel, and to knock ice off of a Shuttle’s wastewater dumping vents. It was designed to remain attached to the Space Shuttle and return to Earth after every Shuttle flight.

Canadarm2 was built as the builder and keeper of the International Space Station. It will stay in space over the lifetime of the Station and had to be built to endure the very harsh environment of space over a long period. To be able to work in the hard-to-reach places on the outside of the Space Station, Canadarm2 required a greater range of motion than the original Canadarm, so the design of the robot arm also had to change in terms of the number and position of its joints.

As a result of building this new icon of Canadian space technology Canada has earned the right to be a full partner in the International Space Station project which in turn means that Canadian scientists are entitled to set up scientific equipment on exterior platforms and on 2.3% of the scientific racks inside the non-Russian portion of the Station. That’s equivalent to one full rack per year during the lifetime of the Space Station! This means Canadian-developed experiments in microgravity and space life sciences can be conducted in space over a long term which may allow us to learn more and perhaps develop different and more conclusive results for important scientific questions.

Kevin Rose (grade 7) - Hillview Academy, NF

The total development of Canadarm2 cost $600M. Although the cost is high, the expertise developed in space robotics has also been applied to specialized applications and spin-off technologies such as remote handling of hazardous materials and sophisticated animatronics for the theme park industry. MD Robotics, as prime contractor engaged hundreds of sub-contractors from across Canada. While the list of Canadian contributors to the MSS program is extensive, the following companies have made very significant contributions to the Mobile Servicing System program:

• SED Systems - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
• MDA - Richmond, British Columbia
• IMP - Halifax, Nova Scotia
• EMS Technologies - Montreal, Quebec
• EMS Technologies - Ottawa, Ontario
• CAE Corporation - Ottawa, Ontario
• FRE Composites - St. Andre, Quebec

The original Canadarm cost roughly $100 million to design, develop, build testing models, and manufacture. It was given to NASA as Canada's contribution to the Space Shuttle Program in 1981. The cost was considerable but the pay-off has been enormous. Subsequently, NASA ordered four additional units, which have resulted in over $600 million in export sales for Canada. Our country has become renowned for its expertise in robotics as the Canadarm firmly established Canadian credibility as developers of quality science and technology.

	Adam (grade 5-6) - St. Joseph’s School, ON
	Darcy Leblanc and Andy McMahon - Steinhauer School, AB

Each end of Canadarm2 is equipped with a latching end effector or LEE. A LEE enables the Canadarm2 to dock with a power data grapple fixture or PDGF (looks a lot like an upside down thumbtack!). The LEE and PDGF work like an electrical outlet and a plug. As its name suggests, the power data grapple fixture allows electrical power and video data to be relayed between Canadarm2 and the Robotic Workstation inside the Space Station. The six PDGFs on the Station’s surface will enable Canadarm2 to move freely around the Station to perform a range of maintenance duties.

Raeva Chehayeb - Steinhauer School, AB

Canadarm2 is just one element of a much bigger robotics system called the Mobile Servicing System (MSS). This system, indispensable to the assembly and maintenance of the Space Station, consists of Canadarm2, a smaller two-armed robot capable of performing delicate maintenance tasks on the Station, and a Mobile Remote Servicer Base System (MBS) that will serve to transport Canadarm2 over the length of the Space Station.

Elizabeth Tumblin's class (grade 3) - Athena School, PEI

There is a Canadarm on all four space shuttles. To date, each of them has performed flawlessly on more than 50 missions! Its most notable mission occurred in December 1993. The Hubble Space Telescope needed repairs so the astronauts used the arm as if it were a cherry picker! They stood on it during five space walks! It was also used to retrieve the telescope to move it into Endeavour’s cargo bay for repairs, and then to move it back out into space.

Bethany Hughes (grade 5) - Lucy Maud Montgomery School, PEI

Five Canadarms have been built and delivered to NASA on the following dates: April 1981, January 1983, December 1983, March 1985, and August 1993. Four arms are currently in service - one arm was destroyed in the Challenger accident in 1986.