Dateline: 12/04/00
Third Space Mission for Marc Garneau
Canadian astronaut Marc Garneau is on his third space mission as the space shuttle Endeavour provides new power supplies to the International Space Station (ISS). Marc Garneau was the first Canadian in space when he served as a payload specialist on the Challenger in 1984. This time Garneau is a mission specialist and flight engineer on the five-man Endeavour crew.
Solar Panels for the International Space Station
The Endeavour has taken 17 tons of solar arrays and related equipment to the International Space Station. The solar arrays can generate enough power to run an average of 10 homes on earth, and will quintuple the electrical power of the International Space Station, which is key to the quality and quantity of its research. "People will be able to look up and see the brightest new star in the sky. Only the Moon and star Sirius will shine brighter," according to W. Michael Hawes, Deputy Associate Administrator for Space Development at NASA Headquarters. If you want to see the International Space Station for yourself, you can use the Heavens Above site to find out when it will be visible from your location, and a star chart to show its track through the sky.
Using the Canadarm
Marc Garneau used the Canadarm, a Canadian robotic arm, to guide the gigantic solar wings out of the cargo bay and into place. Marc Garneau had to work blindly from inside the spacecraft while his crew mates Joe Tanner and Carlos Noriega gave directions from outside. Tanner and Noriega then fastened the wings to the International Space Station. The starboard solar wing was deployed on schedule in about 13 minutes, but the second wing jammed. The crew managed to get the port wing deployed the next day, using a slow, deliberate process that took about two hours.
Canada and the International Space Station
Endeavour is the first space shuttle to visit a manned space station. The Endeavour crew will meet the three-man International Space Station crew, who has been on the station since the end of October 2000, on the ninth day of the mission. The two crews will work together to transfer supplies and equipment.
The Canadian contribution to the International Space Station is the Mobile Servicing System, which has three parts - an advanced Canadarm called the Space Station Remote Manipulator System; the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM), a detachable two-armed robot used on the end of the SSRMS for delicate operations; and the Mobile Remote Servicer Base System, a movable platform for the robotic arm and the SPDM.
The next Canadian astronaut scheduled for a space mission is Chris Hadfield, who will be taking a space walk in April 2001 when he installs Canadarm 2 on the International Space Station.
