Space Station’s Robotic Arm Grapples ISS Under Remote Control

An artist's concept of the Canadarm2 system - Mobile Base System, Canadarm2, and SPDM (not completed). CREDIT: Canadian Space Agency

The International Space Station (ISS)'s robotic arm successfully grappled onto a fixture on the outpost's exterior with no direction from the two astronauts currently onboard.

Instead, robotics officer Sarmad Aziz guided the station's Canadarm 2 through the tricky task - which occurred at 6:20 a.m. EDT (1020 GMT) - remotely from ISS mission control at Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas, NASA officials said.

Robotics officer Ian Mills then took over for the unlatching maneuver, which Expedition 11 flight engineer John Phillips will observe from aboard the ISS, they added.

Controlling the space station's robot arm remotely has been a goal for flight controllers in order to allow ISS crews more free time to pursue science and other work aboard outpost. By proving the arm can be operated from the ground during intricate maneuvers, station controllers hope it might aid astronauts during future spacewalks when the ISS is left void of human crew.

ISS crews have been reduced to two people, down from a nominal three-person contingent, since the grounding of NASA's space shuttle fleet after the Columbia accident.

The last three space station crews, Expeditions 8 through 10, have left the ISS empty of human operators during their spacewalks. Phillips and Expedition 11 commander Sergei Krikalev are due to conduct two spacewalks during their own mission.

Today's successful grapple test follows a previous test in February, during which ground controllers waved the arm's free end around in five-foot increments while keeping it a safe distance from ISS hardware.

         Remote Access: Canadarm 2 Gets a Hand From Ground Control