Canada to Develop Super-Robotic "Canada Hand" for use on the International Space Station

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien today announced that Canada will develop the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) -- the "Canada Hand" -- one of the world's most sophisticated space robots. The Prime Minister made the announcement following his meeting with U.S. President Bill Clinton in Washington.

The "Canada Hand" will be a key component of the Mobile Servicing System, Canada's contribution to the International Space Station, and will be attached to the end of the new generation "Canadarm" used to assemble and maintain the International Space Station in orbit. The Space Station, the largest international scientific project ever undertaken, is being jointly built by the United States, Canada, Russia, Japan and 10 European countries.

"The development of the "Canada Hand" is intended to pave the way for a whole new generation of advanced robotic products with large global markets, creating jobs and opportunities for Canada," the Prime Minister said.

The Canadian government, through the Canadian Space Agency, will invest $207 million over the next three years to develop and build the "Canada Hand". The project will create and maintain about 2,400 person-years in Canadian high-technology firms. An even larger impact on Canadian companies is expected as a result of the development, manufacturing and marketing of commercial spin-offs from the "Canada Hand" robotic technologies.

Scheduled for launch starting in 1999, the Mobile Servicing System will also be used to perform various complex repair and maintenance operations on the outside of the orbiting space station.

The Mobile Servicing System builds on Canada's existing expertise in advanced robotics such as the Canadarm, the internationally acclaimed technological achievement, first designed and built as Canada's contribution to NASA's Space Shuttle program. Subsequent Canadarm orders have resulted in more than $600 million in Canadian export sales.

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• Canadian Space Agency