NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Canada is contributing an essential component of the International Space Station, the Mobile Servicing System. This robotic system plays a key role in space station assembly and maintenance: moving equipment and supplies around the station, supporting astronauts working in space, and servicing instruments and other payloads attached to the space station. Astronauts receive robotics training to enable them to perform these functions with the arm.

Comparison of the shuttle robotic arm with the station robotic arm

The Mobile Servicing System, which is also known as the MSS, has three parts:

Canadarm2

Launched on STS-100 (assembly flight 6A) in April 2001, the next generation Canadarm is a bigger, better, smarter version of the space shuttle's robotic arm. It is 17.6 meters (57.7 feet) long when fully extended and has seven motorized joints. This arm is capable of handling large payloads and assisting with docking the space shuttle. The Space Station Remote Manipulator System, or SSRMS, is self-relocatable with a Latching End Effector, so it can be attached to complementary ports spread throughout the station's exterior surfaces.

Ground Support
A manipulator development simulation facility provides real-time simulation of the Mobile Servicing System and other robotic systems. Support systems are provided for software development. Subsystem Details

Mobile Base System

A work platform that moves along rails covering the length of the space station, the Mobile Base System, or MBS, provides lateral mobility for the Canadarm2 as it traverses the main trusses. It was added to the station during STS-111 (assembly flight UF-2) in June 2002.

Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator

The Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, or Dextre, is a smaller two-armed robot capable of handling the delicate assembly tasks currently handled by astronauts during space walks. It is scheduled to launch on assembly flight 1J/A.