See that long, bent pole in front of the orange solar array panels on the International Space Station? It's See that long, bent pole in front of the orange solar array panels on the International Space Station? It's one of the station's most important tools. A multitasker, it assists with moving payloads, doing maintenance work, and supporting astronauts—sometimes literally. Fully extended, the Mobile Serving System (MSS) arm is 58 feet long, with 7 'joints' that bend or twist when remotely manipulated by astronauts inside the station. The titanium arm is also fitted with a grapple fixture that’s great for catching unpiloted spacecraft that need docking. The MSS is nicknamed the Canadarm2 because it's one of Canada's contributions to the multinational project... See more See less
