MDA's Mobile Base System will Extend the Reach of Canadarm2

Richmond, B.C. - MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (TSE: MDA) ) is about to achieve another milestone in space, with the successful launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour today. Onboard the Shuttle is the Mobile Base System (MBS) - the second of three Mobile Servicing System elements developed by MDA subsidiary MD Robotics to take its place on the International Space Station. The MBS will join Canadarm2, launched and installed in April 2001.

The MBS is a multi-purpose, mobile structure that will act like a 'railcar', travelling up and down the spine of the Space Station. It will serve as a storage location for payloads, and a work platform for astronauts. The MBS will also provide transportation - and an operational base - for Canadarm2, which is designed to perform robotic operations from the MBS. Astronauts are scheduled to begin installation of the Mobile Base System on Sunday, when Canadarm2 will lift the unit from the shuttle cargo bay and position it on the Mobile Transporter. Once the entire 100 metres of truss is installed on the Space Station, the MBS will move along the track at 1 inch per second, taking about 50 minutes to travel from one end of the Space Station to the other. The Mobile Servicing System, developed by MDA under contract to the Canadian Space Agency, is Canada's contribution to the International Space Station. It's made up of three components - Canadarm2, the Mobile Base System, and the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator, a two-armed robot now undergoing final testing.

"MDA image (434K) of the MBS being installed on the International Space Station, for media use. This is a photo montage in jpg format created from a series of NASA images, which anticipates what the installation will look like"

MPEG movie format (30.9Mb) Animated installation process of the MBS.