SpaceQ Space news and analysis.
On Thursday between 3:50 – 3:55 p.m eastern time, assuming all goes well, Canada’s Canadarm2 on the International Space Station will capture the Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV). The Japanese HTV is an unmanned spacecraft used to resupply the Kib Japanese Experiment Module and the rest of the International Space Station (ISS). You can watch the event on the Canadian Space Agency web site or on NASA TV and later that evening look up and get a view of the space station.
The Canadarm2 was launched on STS-100 aboard the space shuttle Endeavour in April 2001 and is part of the Mobile Servicing System (MSS) Canada provided to the International Space Station. The next generation Canadarm is a bigger, better, smarter version of the space shuttle’s robotic arm. It is 17.6 meters long when fully extended and has seven motorized joints. This arm is capable of handling large payloads and assisting with docking the space shuttle.
You can find out when the International Space Station will be visible in your area by visiting Heavens Above and entering your city in the dabatase lookup.
The Canadian Space Agency provides more details on the current expedition on this website page: http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/missions/expedition20-21/default.asp
