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NASA's Zero-Gravity Robotic-Arm Partnership With Canada

Posted by Soulskill on from the see-ya-to-da-iss-eh dept.

AndreV writes "We've entered into an extraterrestrial quid pro quo with our Northern neighbors: After celebrating 25 years of the Canadarm's first venture into space, NASA has reached out (so to speak) to the Canadian Space Agency and begun research and development on a new generation of robotic arms, which would ultimately be used for the US agency's Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle that will provide transportation for Moon missions and jaunts to the international space station. In exchange, Canada will trade the robotic-limb technology's use on Orion and other future US-manned spacecraft for flight time for Canadian astronauts. And seeing solid results shouldn't be far off — the engineering company designing the bionic branch, responsible for the previous Canadarms, has already begun investigating the effects of zero gravity on their components. (Another forward-looking project being bartered for astronaut time is a rover for the Moon and Mars.) Fair trade?"

4 of 41 comments (clear)

  1. Let's hope they can use the toilets by Exp315 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The Canadarm has been an example of successful cooperation in space. Let's hope the Canadian astronauts can use the U.S. toilets when they're up there, unlike the Russians: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7973747.stm

  2. Why not just trade with Richard Branson by interstellar_donkey · · Score: 2, Insightful

    NASA is a very closed system. You don't just "get" to become an astronaut because you want to. It's a long and involved project.

    What surprises me is that we haven't seen foreign nations with a fair amount of intellectual capital but without a real space program attempt like types of trade with private space endeavors. It could eventually work out to being on a smaller scale, and could promote a more international, global interest in space.

    --
    The Internet is generally stupid
  3. Controversy Mining ... by gordguide · · Score: 3, Insightful

    " ... [Nice, thoughtful and reasonably accurate news summary aimed at people with a brain}.
    Fair Trade? ..."

    What is this, Fox News? Do you think /.'ers can't come up with a controversy and discussion themselves, unless prodded with a tagline designed to con viewers to wait for the story after these messages from our fine sponsors?

    1. Re:Controversy Mining ... by Scrameustache · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I'm not sure what you're referring to (cross-border commercial agreements?) but I think the summary was asking "is exchanging a robot arm for a ride on a spaceship a good deal?" and I think that yes, yes it is a good trade. Seems like everybody wins (which is fair).

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      You can't take the sky from me...