CANADAARM

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION ROBOTIC ARM STRUCK BY SPACE DEBRIS

THERESA CROSS

MAY 31ST, 2021

During a routine inspection, it was discovered that the space station’s robotic arm, called Canadarm2, was struck by a piece of space debris. Credit: NASA/CSA

During a routine inspection of the International Space Station on May 12, damage was discovered on the Canadarm2, a nearly 60-foot-long robotic arm on the station.

A 2013 computer generated image representation of orbital space debris. Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

According to a post from the Canadian Space Agency on May 28, the arm is believed to have taken a hit from a small piece of space debris, one too small to track. The debris impacted and left its mark, a hole in part of the arm and the white thermal blanket that wraps around it.

Tracking of orbital debris only occurs for objects that are softball size and larger. Smaller objects such as rock, or dust particles and flecks of paint from satellites, are not tracked due to the significant difficulty in locating and maintaining constant awareness of the objects location.

NASA takes the threat of space collisions very seriously as the safety of the astronauts on board the orbiting science laboratory is among the agency’s top priorities.

NASA and the Canadian Space Agency, CSA, worked together to analyze and assess the damage to the areas of concern, taking detailed images of the impact to the arm and working with engineers to determine the severity.

Experts for both agencies have determined that the damage is limited and the arm’s performance is unaffected. The agencies plan to continue all planned near-term robotic operations onboard the station.