Really Rocket Science

The space shuttle Endeavour is set to liftoff tomorrow at 2:28 a.m. EDT on the STS-123 mission, which will deliver a key component of the Dextre (short for Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator) robotic arm as well as the first section of the Japanese-built Kibo laboratory.

CTV has more on the Candian-built Dextre: 

A team of space-walking astronauts will assemble Dextre, which weighs about 1,560 kilograms, and attach it to the outside of the space station.

Dextre -- 3.7 metres high and 2.4 metres wide -- has two multi-jointed arms attached to its torso, a tool holder and a camera/light unit.

"Each arm has seven joints," Swanson said, adding the body can rotate. "It is a complicated arm to operate, but of course it gives you the ability to do all sorts of things with it."

Assembling Dextre will take three space walks of the five scheduled for the 16-day mission, but Swanson said it will take another two months of testing to make the robot fully operational.

Dextre is "is the third and final component of the Mobile Servicing System (MSS) developed by Canada for the International Space Station," the Canadian Space Agency writes on its website.

The Canadian Space Agency explains that:

[W]ith its two arms, Dextre will load and unload objects, use robotic tools, attach and detach covers and install various units of the Space Station. It will either be attached to the end of Canadarm2 or ride independently on the Mobile Base System and have Canadarm2 deliver equipment to it for servicing. It also has four cameras that will provide the crew inside the Station with additional views of the work areas.

Dextre is a huge accomplishment for the Canadian space industry, which has recently been embroiled in controversy over business-related changes to their prime space contractor.

Canada.com called the plans by U.S. firm Alliant Techsystems to purchase MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates' space and military assets for $1.325 billion "an affront," while the Ottawa Citizen and others have claimed it is vital to Canadian defence that the country maintain its own ability to launch and control its own satellites. (We've blogged about similar concerns about Canadian telecommunications and satellite independence.)

The Endeavour flight is commanded by Dominic Gorie, with Gregory H. Johnson serving as Pilot. The crew also includes Mission Specialists Rick Linnehan, Robert L. Behnken, Mike Foreman, Garrett Reisman and Japanese astronaut Takao Doi.

Doi is aboard to help with the Kibo Japanese experiment module -- and word has it that he will be comfortably dressed: 

 [A] team from Japan Women's University has developed "everyday spacewear," to make things more comfortable for astronaut Takao Doi during his stay on the station...

The team... has spent three years developing practical spacewear suited to a weightless environment.

They developed eight items, including long- and short-sleeved polo shirts, shorts, trousers, socks, underwear and a tracksuit top and bottoms....

Perhaps surprisingly, there is a lot of dirt on the space station, which means clothes get grubby easily.

The group created a polyester fiber-cotton blend fabric that allows sweat to be quickly absorbed and dried, which prevents dirt sticking to the garments.

The team also came up with ways to prevent the clothes interfering with electronic instruments onboard, such as interweaving them with a metallic fiber to prevent the buildup of static electricity.

Many of the everyday clothes worn by astronauts staying on the International Space Station are personal items bought from normal stores. But in a weightless environment, the hems and cuffs rise making them uncomfortable to wear--another problem overcome by the new items.

Kibo (meaning "hope" in Japanese) is the first manned facility made by Japan to be added to the ISS. The Pressurized Module of Kibo will be primarily used for experiments in a microgravity environment. 

As always, the launch will be webcast on NASA TV -- with an additional live stream provided from Japan.