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ISS News

The International Space Station Wins the Prestigious 2009 Robert J. Collier Trophy

On March 3, the National Aeronautic Association announced that the International Space Station (ISS) has been selected as the recipient of the 2009 Robert J. Collier Trophy, "For the design, development, and assembly of the of the world's largest spacecraft, an orbiting laboratory that promises new discoveries for mankind and sets new standards for international cooperation in space."

Considered to be the top award in aviation, the Collier Trophy is awarded annually for the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics. The list of Collier winners represents a timeline of aviation, as most of the awardees mark major events in the history of flight. The Collier Trophy will be formally presented on Thursday, May 13 in Arlington, Virginia.

The International Space Station is collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the Russian Federal Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency. The orbiting laboratory is nearing completion and will mark the tenth anniversary of a continuous human presence in orbit in November 2010. Canada’s contribution to the ISS is the Mobile Servicing System (Canadarm2, Dextre and the Mobile Base System), the sophisticated robotics suite that assembled the Station module by module, and performs ongoing maintenance in space. Canada’s investment in the International Space Station gives Canadian scientists access to the unique environment aboard the ISS, and allows our country to send astronauts to space.