SPACEPHOTOS

ISS CANADIAN SSRMS ART CONCEPT --- This artist's concept depicts the Canadian Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS) mechanical arm aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Attached to the end of the arm is the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM) or 'Canada Hand' also being developed for the station. Canada is developing a second generation of space robotics for the ISS that will be a key component for the station's assembly and maintenance. The station mechanical arm is scheduled to be launched in 1999. A project involving contributions from 16 nations, the station is the largest and most complex international scientific project ever undertaken. Along with Canada (CSA), major partners in the ISS are the United States (NASA), European Space Agency (ESA), Japan (NASDA), and Russia (RSA). Assembly in orbit of the station will begin in 1998 and include 45 flights on the Space Shuttle and two types of Russian launch vehicles over five years. When complete, the ISS will have a mass of more than 1 million pounds (453,000 kilograms) and provide six state-of-the-art laboratories for international research.