More than 400 representatives attended a recent Canadarm3 industry day in January to discuss the once-in-a-generation opportunity the new robotic arm will bring to our country.
Canadarm3 has been in the works for nearly two years, since the Canadian government promised $1.9 billion (over 24 years) in February 2019 to design, build and operate a robotic system that would support the forthcoming NASA Gateway lunar space station.
The funding includes contingency allowances if required, Canadian Space Agency (CSA) officials said during the industry day. But the agency emphasized that it is important to meet the 2026 launch date if possible, to demonstrate their international commitment to the project, as well as to let industry benefit swiftly from the robotic work.
This matter has high relevance not only to industry, but also to Canada’s participation in forthcoming NASA projects. Traditionally, Canada provided robotics (such as Canadarm, Canadarm2, Dextre and the Mobile Base System) in support of NASA endeavours such as the space shuttle and the International Space Station. In exchange, Canada receives flight opportunities for astronauts and for scientific experiments aboard NASA missions.
Canadarm3 thus represents the next natural leap forward for Canada, building on heritage technology from Canadarm and Canadarm2 and now being designed by MDA under a $22.8 million Phase A contract awarded in December 2020. MDA already has supported Canadarm and Canadarm2, among other space robot projects.
Already, Canada’s commitment secured an astronaut seat aboard the Artemis II moon-orbiting mission in 2023 along with a NASA memorandum of agreement related to Artemis, representing just the beginning of new opportunities for our country.
“This whole industry day engagement is obviously a very exciting time,” MDA CEO Mike Greenley said during a presentation. “Canada’s commitment to provide the artificial intelligence-based robotics to Lunar Gateway, and the activities that have occurred to bring astronaut missions in response to that, are all extraordinary, extraordinary opportunities for the country.”
Greenley emphasized that MDA would use its contract to build out Canada’s space industrial base. “We’ll have a strong industry engagement activity as part of our program, delivered properly on ITBs [industrial and technological benefits] and value propositions to Canada, as contracted as part of this program.”
“This is the first time the industrial and technological benefits policy or ITB will be applied in the context of a civil space project,” added Lisa Campbell, Canadian Space Agency president, in another presentation. “This policy will help ensure that Canada’s investment in Canada industry maximizes business activities here at home as we work towards this common goal.”
According to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), companies awarded major defence procurement contracts under ITB are required to “undertake business activities in Canada, equal to the value of the contract.”
While Canadarm3 is a civilian project, the policy described on ISED’s website includes space systems and aerospace systems as key industrial capabilities in our country – which presumably could apply in both military and civilian contexts. ISED director John MacInnis said during the industry day that large projects such as Canadarm3 may include ITB applications on a “case-by-case basis.”
“The ITB policy,” he added, “is a flexible framework that is market-driven and is supported by market analysis and industry engagement.”
Canadarm3’s key industrial capabilities (KIC) for ITB are focused on emerging technology areas with the potential for market growth, MacInnis explained in his presentation. Its KICs include space systems, artificial intelligence, advanced materials, and remotely piloted systems and autonomous technologies. Canadarm3 also includes one leading competency and critical industrial service, which is electro optical and infrared systems.
The pillars of Canadarm3’s value proposition extend beyond the space sector, with aims to include technology transfer and commercialization, research and development, supplier development, exports and skills development and training, MacInnis added.
The technology transfer piece in particular is interesting given that – as a single example – Canadian robotics technology from Canadarm, Canadarm2 and Dextre has been repurposed for an Image-Guided Autonomous Robot (IGAR) for early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. There are numerous other Canadarm and Canadian robotics technology spinoffs outside of space, too, in fields such as medicine.
CSA’s Campbell pointed to even more economic benefits for Canadarm3 outside the spinoffs or value proposition pillars. She said that the Canadian-built space robotics for Gateway will resonate for the next decade, contributing almost $135 million a year to our country’s GDP and creating and maintaining 1,300 “high-quality jobs.” Business opportunities for the future could include the nascent in-orbit servicing market, demonstrated through experiments with Dextre and through a few limited satellite tests in the past year.
Canadarm3’s design may evolve in the coming years according to industry and NASA needs, but it currently will encompass a large arm equipped with several tools, such as a small arm that will be able to do its own maintenance on the system, said Ken Podwalski, a long-time Canadarm2 manager now responsible for CSA Gateway’s program.
Canada will also provide the robotic interfaces for Canadarm3, he said. The system will be “able to walk around, and maneuver, and relocate itself all over the Gateway” using base points for each of the two arms, Podwalski noted. Smaller interfaces will also be available for payloads, science experiments, spares and other things to operate well in lunar orbit.
Naturally, Canadarm3 must also work within Gateway requirements such as power, to maximize its benefit – and the work on the robot will also encompass electrical subsystems to support cameras and sensors, among other things.
“This sets the stage for providing opportunity for Canadian industry to take on these realms, not only just on the Gateway, but in future programs,” he said. To be sure, Canadarm3’s program not only includes the actual robotics, but also such matters as the ground infrastructure for matters like planning and commanding, and professional services, Podwalski said.
Artificial intelligence will also see a range of applications, he noted. In architecture applications, this includes situational awareness (sense), task planning (reasoning) and task execution (act). Lifecycle application areas are wide-ranging, but can include engineering, predictive maintenance, operations, public relations and “big data” handling.
“Equipping this system with artificial intelligence is basically going to give us that much higher level of self reliance, and those efficient operations that we want to be able to do for ourselves just in terms of running this program,” Podwalski said. “But it’s also going to set the stage for how industry can take on space robotics and that new marketplace in the future, as a whole.”
During the industry day, MDA pointed to a range of general development needs that other companies can address, although the list may evolve through consultation. Industry can expect invitations for fields such as advanced materials, additive manufacturing, robotic interface auxiliary services, force moment sensors, mechanism design, cameras, sensors, worksite surveys, autonomous control, or engineering services, just to name part of the range.
MDA provided a confidential survey link for industry day attendees and encouraged everyone else to consult their website for more information about Canadarm3 and related opportunities.
If all goes to plan, the timeline will see Phase A – requirements concepts and early technology development – concluding this year. In 2022, Phase B will begin with a preliminary design concept elaboration and technology development, including the preliminary design review.
A critical design review will take place towards the end of Phase C, which runs from 2023 to 2024. Phase D, which involves assembly, integration and testing, will be from 2024 to 2026, with delivery and launch both completed by the end of 2026. Operations would then begin around 2026 or 2027 and are expected to last for at least 15 years.