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Monday, February 17, 2003 Canada Looking to Help Nuclear Mars Rover Mission Canadarm Credit: NASA The Canadian Space Agency announced today that it has requested funding to contribute robotics and mining expertise to a NASA mission slated to launch in 2009. This mission, dubbed the Mars Science Laboratory, is envisioned as a nuclear-powered rover capable of traveling hundreds of miles across Mars, looking for such things as water and life. Canada's expertise in robotics and mining could be a significant benefit to the project. Canada's largest past contribution to a NASA project was the design and construction of the Canadarm, one of the most important parts of the Space Shuttle fleet. It has never malfunctioned, but instead has been used in everything from repairing the Hubble Space Telescope to knocking ice off the shuttle to building the International Space Station. (More info: The Avion Online, NASA.gov) @ 13:05 EST