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Overview of Mission STS-100

On April 19, 2001, Canadians watched a historic event take place. For the first time in space history, a Canadian astronaut performed an Extravehicular Activity (EVA)! Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield was the lead spacewalker who helped to install Canadarm2.

The main objective of Mission STS-100 was to install the Canadian-made space arm called the Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) or Canadarm2 onto the International Space Station. This space arm will be used to help move payloads and do repairs during the life span of the Space Station.

The flexibility and use of the Canadarm2 will be enhanced by the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, a Canadian-made robot, that is scheduled for transport to the Space Station by 2004.

The Space Shuttle Endeavour will also have on board an Ultra High Frequency (UHF) antenna and eight science experiment racks to be installed in the U.S. lab.

How did they Install and Test the Arm on this Mission?

It took a lot of elbow grease but the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and NASA had it all figured out!

Two Canadian technologies merged during this mission: the Canadarm (the Space Shuttle robotic arm) and Canadarm2 (the Space Station robotic arm). The Canadarm, which is attached to the Shuttle, lifted the pallet or platform containing Canadarm2 out of the Shuttle’s cargo bay.

During the course of their mission, Chris Hadfield and American astronaut, Scott Parazynski, unbolted Canadarm2 and unfolded its "booms" or arms manually while it was still on the pallet. The arm was then controlled and "told" to pick up the pallet and hand it over to the Canadarm which then stored it back in the cargo bay. This test has been called "The Handshake".

Canadarm2 was then tested to make sure that it will eventually be able to move freely along the Space Station.