Cosmic catch of a cargo ship with Canadarm2

Since 2001, Canadarm2 has been used for regular maintenance tasks on the International Space Station. In 2009, the multitalented robot expanded its capabilities to "catch" certain uncrewed cargo ships and berth them to the ISS—a precise and extremely complex operation that has proven essential for numerous resupply missions.

In this infographic, explore the steps of this complex robotic operation, known as a cosmic catch. (Credit: Canadian Space Agency)

1 – Launch: Cargo ship launches from Earth

2 – Orbit arrival: Cargo ship reaches Earth orbit

3 – Approach: Cargo ship approaches the ISS, and ISS crew begins monitoring when ship is about 1 km away

4 – Alignment: Cargo ship synchronizes its movements with those of the Station

5 – Catching: ISS crew uses Canadarm2 to catch cargo ship

6 – Berthing: Flight controllers use Canadarm2 to manoeuvre cargo ship to its berthing port

7 – Unloading: ISS crew unloads materials

8 – Return: Once the mission is complete, flight controllers use Canadarm2 to release the ship from the ISS