Canada In Space
Canada has a rich history in space exploration. From 1839 when Sir Edward Sabine established the first magnetic observatory at the University of Toronto to study the northern lights; to producing the landing gear used on the Eagle for the first landing on the moon in 1969; to the development of the Canadarm which was used on the Space Shuttle orbiters to deploy, manoeuvre and capture payloads; and, in looking forward to a Canadian rover landing on the moon within the next five years.
Dextre
Dextre is also known as the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator (SPDM and is a two armed robot on the International Space Station. It does repairs which would otherwise require spacewalks. It was launched in 2008 on mission STS-123.
Dextre is part of Canada’s contribution to the ISS and is named to represent its dexterous nature. Dextre is the third Canadian robotic arm used on the ISS. Dextre was designed and manufactured by MDA which is a Canadian space technology company headquartered in Brampton, Ontario.