Historic Space Shuttle Pallet Coming to Canada

The Spacelab pallet, which was used to carry the Canadarm2 and the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (Dextre) into orbit, will soon be visiting Canada. It has left the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and is now en route to the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa.

The Spacelab pallet is being trucked from the Kennedy Space Center to Ottawa. Credit: CSA
Last July, the Space Shuttle Remote Manipulator System or Canadarm which flew onboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour returned to Canada to be put on display. The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has not announced when it will be put on display at its headquarters in Saint-Hubert. (See SpaceRef’s report and the CSA’s Press Release)

Astronaut Chris A. Hadfield, is pictured on the aft flight deck of the Space Shuttle Endeavour during an historic event – the shuttle pallet was handed off from Canadarm2 to the Canadarm – a Canadian “handshake in space” on April 28, 2001. Credit: NASA
Upon its arrival at the Museum, the Spacelab pallet will be stored until its exhibition concept is completed. It will then be put on display for the Canadian public for a four year period.

Space Shuttle Endeavour approaches the International Space Station during STS-123 rendezvous and docking operations on March 12, 2008. In the shuttle payload bay is the Spacelab pallet carrying Dextre. Credit: NASA

The ISS robotic arm Canadarm2 hands off the Spacelab pallet to the Space Shuttle Canadarm in an historic “handshake in space’. Credit: NASA