March 11th, NASA is scheduled to launch the shuttle with a Canadian built set of robot hands to attach to the end of the Canadian built robot arm that will be able to change out batteries and swap experimental modules. The robot is named Dextre and has more joints and flexibility then a 12 year old gymnast. He also has a tool belt, cameras to focus on the task at hand, and like any good Canadian, six maple leaves plastered on him and his gear.
The robot was built by MacDonald, Detweiler and Associates (MDA) who also built the Canadarm for the shuttle and the Canadarm2 for the International Space Station. Dextre will be the final piece of the Canadian furnished Mobile Servicing System, which consists of a mobile base that runs along rails on the outside of the station and the Canadarm2. Dextre can either ride directly on the mobile base or "can be connected to Canadarm2 like a snap-on tool."
According to Daniel Rey, the head of the technical team designing Dextre, Dextre "can be remote controlled from the ground or from the space station." In a testimony before Congress Dr. Paul Cooper of MDA, discussing the possibility of robotic Hubble servicing, made reference to a NASA Space Station safety analysis allowing station robotics like the Canadarm2 to be controlled from the ground by early 2007. The Canadian Space Agency's own website even celebrates recent upgrade to Canadarm2 that allow for ground control "in preparation for Dextre." Although there are a few references to simple tests being conducted controlling Canadarm2 from the ground, most sources this month only report that these robotic tools are being controlled from inside the Space Station.
Although Dextre will cut down on crew EVA time (and EVA training time), it is clearly not as advantageous as being able to delegate some space station maintenance to the ground and leaving crew members free to work on other tasks. As it is, the on-orbit crew still has to be at the controls of the robot through out the entire operation and train to use the robotic controllers making the "time" savings not nearly as great.
Although one to two second time delays can make remote operation tricky (as noted in Dr. Cooper's testimony) and all the kinks may not be ironed out yet, I look forward to hearing more from NASA about this issue as they and their partners progress in finding ways to make ground control of Space Station robotics a reality. And hey, if there is anything we can do to help, just ask. I know that next generation can be pretty quick with a joystick...
Canadian robot Dextre getting ready to head to the front line in space [The Canadian Press]
Dextre is a handy little guy [Edmonton Journal]
Image: Canadian Space Agency
