Is the International Space Station falling apart?

Yes

1 of 1

by Nancy L. Young-Houser

• 

Write now Print Invite a writer™ Add to Favorites RSS Feed Contact this writer

This is a debate that depends entirely on personal interpretation of the situation-YES it is falling apart due to regular usage, along with wear and tear, and NO it is not, as it is very much able to be used with a minimum of repair work other than the usual wear and tear. Not just one country can financially take care of it, but a team of cooperative space agencies needs to routinely maintain it. In that sense, it is falling apart but only due to regular usage. The reason that the International Space Station has survived to this point is a joint cooperation of several international countries and the need to survive-the need to survive here on Earth, and the need to survive somewhere in space if Earth does not make it. This does not involve one country but the entire planet.

One such example of global cooperation in repair work for the ISS is DEXTRA, the official name of the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, a tool made by the Canadian Space Agency for the repairing and maintaining of the International Space Station. A sophisticated dual armed robot, this is Canada's contribution to the International Space Station in order to precisely remove and replace the smaller components of the ISS's exterior, similar to the Canadarm2 and the Mobile Base System (MBS).

DEXTRA's four cameras will provide the ISS's crew additional work area viewpoints from inside the station, while the crew who would complete the task controls it from the inside instead of having to go into space. The three components of DEXTRE have been designed to either work independently, or to work together as a unit called the MSS, or the Mobile Servicing System:

*Canadarm2 or the Space Station Remote Manipulator System
*Mobile Base System
*Dextre

MD Robotics, which is the main contractor of DEXTRE, is located in Brampton, Ontario. Built to provide an alternative to the time the ISS's astronauts need to perform repairs in space, the time saved will be utilized for science.

DEXTRE has been designed to that only one arm can move at a time in order to avoid any form of self-collision, achieve greater stability, and maintain operational similarity with Canadarm2. The immobile arm of DEXTRE maintains the greatest amount of stability, first commanded to anchor D EX T RE to an ISS stabilization point. The hand of the device is referred to as the Orbital Replacement Unit/Tool Changeout Mechanism (OTCM), which consists of a set of parallel retractable jaws, made to grip such things as tools and gripping payloads.

Motorized socket wrenches have been made to form part of the OTCM, which will mate and de-mate certain mechanism on-orbit onboard the ISS, along with lights and a camera that is black & white. NASA engineers on-ground can then view what is going on at the same time as the ISS crew can, when the DEXTRE is in full operation. A gentle touch is needed to avoid binding, along with a great deal of accuracy and precision. This can be achieved by a precise sensing of the robotic hand, with its sensitive forces and torques, along with automatic compensation for smooth moves.

This is just one small yet cooperative example of several countries working together for a common goal, which is the success of the ISS and for the future of space science. Whenever science in space succeeds with achieved goals, Earth will have the ability to benefit in many ways-other than by war between global countries,the present goal on our planet to achieve power and control.

Learn more about this author, Nancy L. Young-Houser.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.