LONGUEUIL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwire) -- 02/14/13 -- The Government of Canada is proud to welcome one of our greatest technological contributions to international space exploration: the original Canadarm flown on the Space Shuttle Endeavour.

"I am proud to repatriate this historic piece of Canadian technology and ensure it is on display for all Canadians to see," said the Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for the Canadian Space Agency. "Canadians are immensely proud of the Canadarm which was absolutely critical to the Space Shuttle Program and positioned Canada as a key partner in the International Space Station."

The famed robotic arm touched down on the last flight of the Space Shuttle Endeavour in May 2011. It was then returned to Canada and, over the past few months, has been undergoing a thorough and careful evaluation at MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates' facilities in Brampton. It will now be transferred to the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa, where it will be on display for all Canadians.

"Canada is a leader in numerous space-related technologies and the Canadarm is just one example of what our world-class Canadian companies are capable of," added Minister Paradis. "Our Government is committed to consolidating that reputation by maximizing access to international business opportunities and improving the commercialization of innovative Canadian technology."

Canadarm, Canada's national icon of technological innovation, made its space debut on the US Space Shuttle Columbia on November 13, 1981. Designed to deploy and retrieve space payloads, the robotic arm quickly became a critical element in the Space Shuttle Program. It worked flawlessly for 90 Shuttle missions, spending a total of 944 days in space and travelling the equivalent of over 624 million kilometers.

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