Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of
our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief
explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2006 May 22
Explanation: What arm is 17 meters long and sometimes uses
humans for fingers? The Canadarm2 aboard the International Space
Station (ISS). Canadarm2 has multiple joints and is capable of
maneuvering payloads as massive as 116,000 kilograms, equivalent
to a fully loaded bus. Canadarm2 is operated by remote control
by a human inside the space station. To help with tasks
requiring a particularly high level of precision and detail, an
astronaut can be anchored to an attached foot constraint. The
arm is able propel itself end-over-end around the outside of the
space station. Pictured above, astronaut Stephen Robinson rides
Canadarm2 during the STS-114 mission of the space shuttle
Discovery to the ISS in 2005 August. Space shuttles often deploy
their own original version of a robotic arm dubbed Canadarm.
Next year, a second robotic ar