The launch of the European Robotic Arm to the ISS has once again been postponed. It is confirmed by ESA, contractor of the ERA, that the Proton launch which would take place in July has again been delayed due to production problems with the Russian MLM-module. ERA was to be the secondary payload on that flight.
The European Robotic Arm is one of the most important projects of the European space industry. The robot-arm is unique because of its ability to ‘walk’ across the space station, so to speak. By using different connectors on the side of the station, the arm can reach places otherwise hard to reach by astronauts conducting EVAs.
Russia’s victim
The project was subject to many failures and setbacks over the past decade. Originally to be launched in 2002, the arm has been the victim of Russian problems with the production of their MLM-module. This final habitat of the International Space Station has also been plagued with errors and production faults. ERA is supposed to be launched on the same flight als the MLM-module.
Delayed. Delayed. And delayed
Launches of both the ERA and the MLM-module have been postponed at least a handful of times. According to ESA, the arm will now go up no earlier than 2015, and even that date is debatable.
Waiting for launch
The arm has already been shipped to the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan where it’s waiting for its eventuel launch aboard a Proton rocket.
Dutch Space
The robotic arm was built by the company Dutch Space, of Leiden, Netherlands. The company regrets the postponement, although a spokeswoman says ESA has already ordered and paid for the production of the arm so the company no longer has any influence on it process.
Tags : ERA, ESA, ISS, MLM, Proton, ruimtevaart, rusland, Russia, spaceflight
