Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute

ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION – SPACE MISSIONS

www.mdacorporation.com

CANADA’S ROLE IN SPACE – RECENT PROJECTS

Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute October 9, 2014

Leif Bloomquist, Senior Software Systems Engineer @ MDA

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Presentation Outline

Background: Canadarm and Canadarm2

Recent projects with Canadian participation:

• Phoenix Mars Lander and Curiosity Mars Rover• Next Generation Canadarm• OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return Mission (Video)

Canadarm Legacy and Future (Video)

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Sputnik 1, 1957: Russia

Explorer 1, 1958: USA

Alouette 1, 1962

Canada, eh!

Canada was the third nation in space!

44April 13, 2023

Early Steps: Canadarm

Credit: NASA

Launched in November, 1981 on STS-2

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Canadarm2 Arrives (2001)Canadarm 2

• 17.6m long• 7 joints• Mass: 1,800kg• Handling Capacity: 100,000kg• 2 latching end effectors (“hands”)• Force-moment sensing capability• Relocatable – can travel end-over-end• Electrically redundant• On-orbit or Ground-based control• PP: 2kW | Prms: 1360W

Credit: NASA

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Canadarm2• Deployed on the ISS: April 2001• STS -100: First Canadian space walk

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Chris Hadfield

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Space Station Assembly

7April 13, 2023Credit: NASA

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Dextre

• 3.5 m (12 ft) long

• Two manipulator arms, each with 7 joints

• One body roll joint

• Each arm fitted with an Orbit Replacement Unit/Tool Change-out Mechanism (OTCM)

• Force-Moment sensing capability

• 600 kg (1300 lbs) payload handling capacity

• One Latching End Effector

• Four special tools, carried in Tool Holder

Credit: NASA

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Phoenix Mars Lander (2007)

Canada’s contribution: MET Lidar

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MET Lidar “Light Radar”

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Mars Science Lab “Curiosity”

Launched Nov. 26, 2011Landed: August 2012 (Operating on Mars right now!)Canada’s contribution is the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS)

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APXS Analyzing a Boulder on Mars

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The Next Generation Canadarm

• Project Duration: October 2009 to March 2012

• Produce a facility of ground-based prototypes of key elements for an end-to-end robotic on-orbit servicing system, demonstrating next generation technologies and operational capabilities for prepared and unprepared spaceflight hardware in earth orbit and beyond

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Background – Robotics for Servicing

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NGC Integrated Test Bed FacilityNext Generation Small Canadarm (NGSC) Test Bed

Next Generation Large Canadarm (NGLC) Test Bed

Proximity Operations (POST) Test BedSemi-Autonomous

Docking Simulator (SADS) Test Bed

Mission Operations Station(MOS)

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Mission Operations Station

Mission Planning display

Real or simulated mission video displays with telemetry driven overlays

3D virtual display driven by real or simulated telemetry

Graphical User Interface displays for command input and telemetry display

Hand controllers

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Mission Operations Station

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POST Test Bed• Operator-in-the-loop spacecraft proximity operations during

approach of Servicer Spacecraft to capture envelope of Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) of Client Spacecraft

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SADS Test Bed• Servicer to Client spacecraft docking interaction and

docking sensor performance

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NGLC Test Bed• Prototype and demonstrate a scalable concept for

telescoping booms for a large (15 m reach) manipulator

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NGSC Test Bed

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NGSC Test Bed

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NGSC Test Bed

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NGSC Test Bed

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OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter (OLA)

Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-VR6pNi70k

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OLA Canadian Team

• Canadian Space Agency (Montreal)• MDA Space Missions (Brampton)• Optech (Vaughan)• York University (Toronto)

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Acknowledgements

• Dr. Cameron Dickenson and Lynne Vanin @ MDA• NGC Project Team @ MDA and CSA• National Research Council (NRC) – Institute for Aerospace

Research• Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC)