posted 06-26-2020 01:48 PM               

Building the next Canadarm

Canada looks to Canadian company MDA to build Gateway Canadarm3 for Artemis Deep Space Missions

Canada is taking another important step forward in its participation in the next chapter of Moon exploration. Today, the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced Canada intends to enter into a contract with Brampton-based company MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Inc. (MDA) to build Canadarm3.

"Our Government is committed to the future of space exploration and ensuring Canada remains a global leader in space robotics," said Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. "Our commitment to contribute Canadarm3 to the Lunar Gateway will generate high-quality jobs and economic benefits for Canadians while ensuring that our space industry continues to lead and grow. Canada will continue to push the boundaries of human ambition in space exploration, and inspire generations of kids – and adults – to always aim higher and aspire to something greater."

This smart robotic system is Canada's contribution to the United States-led Lunar Gateway for the Artemis program, the next major international collaboration in human space exploration, which forms the cornerstone of Exploration, Imagination, Innovation: A New Space Strategy for Canada. The development of Canadarm3 will extend and strengthen Canada's well-established global leadership in space robotics. It will also help grow our economy, create the jobs of tomorrow, and get young Canadians interested in pursuing studies and careers in STEM disciplines.

Canadarm3 will be composed of a next-generation smart robotic arm, a small dexterous arm and a set of specialized tools. Using advanced machine vision, cutting-edge software and advances in artificial intelligence, this highly autonomous system will be able to perform tasks without human intervention.

Above: An artist's concept of Canadarm3's large arm on the Lunar Gateway.

"As the Government of Canada's central purchaser, my department is working closely with the Canadian Space Agency to build the next-generation Canadarm," said Anita Anand, Minister of Public Services and Procurement. "We are proud to be leveraging our world-leading, domestic expertise in space robotics to contribute to future space exploration, while creating opportunities for our small and medium enterprises here at home."

With four decades of expertise gained from flagship space robotics programs like the original Canadarm, Canadarm2 and Dextre, MDA is at the centre of a dynamic ecosystem of innovative small and medium-sized businesses and research organizations from across the country. Hundreds of Canadian companies are expected to be involved in the development of Canadarm3, working with MDA and research organizations to drive innovation and Canadian excellence in emerging technologies. The development of Canadarm3 will involve the application of the Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) Policy, which will ensure the participation of the broader Canadian supply chain and help motivate investments in key industrial capabilities within Canada's space sector.

In 2019, Canada became the first nation to join the United States-led Lunar Gateway, the next major international collaboration in human space exploration following the legacy of the International Space Station. The Gateway is an important part of an ambitious plan by NASA and international partners, including Canada, to send humans deeper into space than ever before.

posted 06-26-2020 01:55 PM               

About Canadarm3

Canadarm3 will be Canada's contribution to the US-led Gateway, a lunar outpost that will enable sustainable human exploration of the Moon. This highly autonomous robotic system will use cutting-edge software to perform tasks around the Moon without human intervention.

Components

The smart robotic system will include several distinct parts:

• a large, 8.5-metre-long arm
  
• a smaller, more dexterous arm
  
• a set of detachable tools

Tasks

The next-generation Canadian robotic system will be designed to:

• maintain, repair and inspect the Gateway
  
• capture visiting vehicles
  
• relocate Gateway modules
  
• help astronauts during spacewalks
  
• enable science both in lunar orbit and on the surface of the Moon

Canadarm3 is designed to work autonomously. However, the system could also be operated by robotics flight controllers in Canada, or by Gateway crew during spacewalks.

How it will work

Canadarm3's smaller arm will be equipped to transfer mission-critical material between the interior and the exterior of the space station.

The small arm will be able to help repair the larger arm in space if necessary. This means that, thanks to advances in autonomy and artificial intelligence, Canadarm3 will be able to maintain itself in space – swapping out parts and keeping itself constantly ready to perform precise operations.

How Canadarm3 will move on the Gateway

Each end of Canadarm3's arms will be able to attach to the Gateway using specially designed interfaces on the Gateway's exterior. Each anchoring ""hand"" will plug into an interface that supplies power, data, and video connections.

These interfaces will also allow the large and small arms to work together to accomplish tasks, and will help store tools when not in use.

When will it operate on the Gateway?

The Canadian Space Agency is actively working with its partners on defining Gateway architecture and determining when Canadarm3 will be needed in the mid-2020s. The exact launch date depends on the overall Gateway schedule.

• Canadarm, Canadarm2, and Canadarm3 – A comparative table

posted 12-08-2020 08:54 PM               

The Canadian Space Agency awards contract to MDA for Canadarm3

As part of its plans to join the return to the Moon, the Canadian Space Agency has awarded a contract worth $22.8 million to Brampton-based MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) to establish the technical requirements to build Canadarm3.

Canadarm3 is Canada's contribution to the United States-led Lunar Gateway, which is part of the Artemis program, the next major international collaboration in human space exploration.

Canadarm3 will be composed of a next-generation smart robotic arm, a small dexterous arm and a set of specialized tools. Using advanced machine vision, cutting-edge software and advances in artificial intelligence, this highly autonomous system will be able to perform tasks without human intervention.

In contrast to its predecessor on the International Space Station, ground control operations for Canadarm3 will take place exclusively in Canada.

Hundreds of Canadian companies are expected to be involved in the development of Canadarm3, working with MDA and research organizations to drive innovation and Canadian excellence in emerging technologies.

The development of Canadarm3 will involve the application of the Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy, which will ensure the participation of the broader Canadian supply chain and help motivate investments in key industrial capabilities within Canada's space sector.

posted 06-02-2021 10:10 AM               

Canadarm3 one step closer to the Lunar Gateway

Canada looks to Canadian company MDA to build robotics interfaces for the Gateway

Canada is paving the way for its participation in humanity's return to the Moon. Today (June 2), the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced Canada's intent to enter into a contract with Brampton-based company MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) to design, manufacture, test, and deliver robotics interfaces that will allow Canadarm3 to operate on the Lunar Gateway.

The Gateway External Robotics Interfaces are fixtures that will be installed on Lunar Gateway modules and on visiting vehicles for future deep-space missions. They will allow Canadarm3 to anchor itself and move around the Gateway, and to retrieve payloads delivered on logistics vehicles and reposition them on the station. The interfaces will also supply power and data connections to the robotic elements and any attached payloads.

Canada was the first country to join the United States on plans for the Lunar Gateway, the next major international collaboration in human space exploration. Japan and the European Space Agency have since finalized agreements with NASA to contribute various Gateway components, laying the foundation for continued peaceful collaboration among spacefaring nations.

"Our government continues to support the development of advanced robotics tailored to a new chapter of lunar exploration. Canada's significant contribution to the Lunar Gateway promises to spark innovative opportunities and important economic benefits for the country's space sector," said the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.

posted 03-10-2022 10:14 AM               

The Canadian Space Agency begins design of Canadarm3

Leveraging a 40-year legacy of leadership in space robotics, the Government of Canada continues work on Canadarm3, the Canadian-made robotics system destined for the Lunar Gateway.

Brampton-based company MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) will receive $268.9 million to begin the preliminary design of Canadarm3. The investment also includes funding to procure some of Canadarm3's components.

MDA will work with companies across the country to drive innovation and research and development in emerging technologies while developing the robotic system. A broad range of Canadian companies will be part of the Canadarm3 supply chain, spurring investments in key industrial capabilities within Canada's space sector.

Integrating sophisticated machine vision, cutting-edge software and advances in artificial intelligence, Canadarm3 will be critical to NASA's Artemis program. The highly autonomous robotics system will maintain, repair and inspect the Lunar Gateway, as well as capture visiting vehicles, help astronauts during spacewalks, and support science both in lunar orbit and on the surface of the Moon. The target date for delivering Canadarm3 to the Gateway is 2027.