Inside The IEEE Milestone Honoring Canada’s Iconic Space Robot Arm

NASA’s Cargo-Moving Robotic Arm Named 300th IEEE Milestone

Canadarm handled payloads on space shuttle missions for 30 years

02 Sep 2026

5 min read

Joanna Goodrich is the associate editor of The Institute

The Shuttle Remote Manipulator System, also known as Canadarm, is a robotic arm attached to space shuttles and the International Space Station (ISS). It allows astronauts to handle and transfer tools, satellites, and other payloads. The Canadarm2 was used in 2020 to install the Cygnus space freighter to the Unity module used in the ISS.

Jessica Meir/NASA