Longueuil, Quebec, April 25, 2007 – Media representatives are invited to a unique photo-opportunity to see the robotic manipulator Dextre. It will be packed and shipped in the coming weeks to NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida and launched to the International Space Station in 2008. NASA astronauts will also be on site to explain how they will assemble Dextre's nine components during a spacewalk.
Dextre is the third and final element of the Mobile Servicing System contributed by Canada for the International Space Station. With its two arms, Dextre will be agile enough to take on much of the work now performed by astronauts outside the Station. This will alleviate some of the risk factors in their work.
When:
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Time:
10:30 a.m.
What:
Brief presentation on Dextre
Visit to the Clean Room to see Dextre – Photo-op
Who:
Paul Cooper, General Manager, MDA
Benoît Marcotte, Manager, Canadian Space Station Program, CSA
Robert (Bob) L. Behnken, NASA astronaut
Michael J. Foreman, NASA astronaut
Garrett E. Reisman, NASA astronaut
Where:
MDA
9445 Airport Road
Brampton, Ontario
For more information on Canada's Mobile Servicing System and Dextre, visit CSA's website.
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For more information:
Julie Simard
Canadian Space Agency
Media Relations
Telephone: (450) 926-4370
julie.simard@space.gc.ca
Lynne Vanin
MDA
Public Affairs
Brampton, Ontario
Telephone: (905) 790-4466
