The remote manipulator system – named Canadarm in honor of the country that built it – has proven itself to be like a right hand to the space shuttle and International Space Station (ISS), capable of both heavy lifting and an incredibly delicate touch. It is kind of like a crane in space. It flew for the first time on Nov. 13, 1981 on the second shuttle flight, and one of the mission’s main tasks was to test the arm out – wiggle it around a bit and see how it worked before the heavy lifting started. Pictured here, Space Shuttle mission STS-2, Nov. 1981, when the Canadarm is flown in space for the first time. Image credit: NASA #NASA #CSA #canadianspaceagency #canadaarm #technology #robotics #spaceshuttle #iss #heritage