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Aresearch.152 net.columbia utzoo!decvax!duke!mhtsa!harpo!research!sjb Fri Nov 13 18:45:22 1981 Canadarm Here are some facts and figures on Canadarm:

What is it: Officially called the ``Remote Manipulator System (RMS),'' it is a mechanical arm that has more mobility and flexibility than a human arm. It weighs 900 pounds and cannot even lift its own weight on Earth, but can easily control a boxcar in space.

How it works: A system of snare wires closes on a small projection on satellite (all satellites to be handled by the arm must have the projection) to grab it and slackens to let go. If the arm cannot be retracted (necessary to close the cargo bay doors), the astronauts can ``amputate'' it by exploding small charges and leave it behind.

Who built it: Canada's space industry took on the $100 million project that took 7 years. It gave the first one to NASA in return for NASA's promise to buy three more for future shuttles at a cost of $74 million.

Control: Astronauts control it with a ``stick'' similar to the one used to maneuver the shuttle itself. A trigger controls the wires that grab onto things, and the whole process is monitored by TV cameras (if they work!)

Lifetime: 10 years or 100 missions

Purpose this trip: A shakedown to see how well it works in space.

Applications: It will be used to retrieve and deploy satellites, rescue humans from other ships, and even to fix satellites in orbit.

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