Lyappa arm

File:Mir arm2.JPG

Lyappa arm on Mir mock-up at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.

The Lyappa (or Ljappa) arm was a robotic arm used during the assembly of the Soviet/Russian space station Mir. Each of the Kvant-2, Kristall, Spektr and Priroda modules was equipped with one of these arms, which, after the module had docked to the core module's forward port, grapples one of two fixtures positioned on the core module's hub module. The module's main docking probe was then retracted, and the arm raised the module so that it could be pivoted 90° for docking to one of the four radial docking ports.

It was a mechanically driven arm which was used to move modules from the forward (or axial) docking ports which had rendevouz equipment fitted to the permanent radial docking ports. The arm mated with a socket located on Mir’s multiple docking assembly node adjacent to the -XB end of the Base Block. Once connected, the modules main docking probe retracted and the arm raised the module so that it pivoted 90° for docking to a radial port.

Gallery

• Lyappa arm and attach fixture on Mir.jpg

  Lyappa arm and attach fixture on Mir

• Mir arm1.jpg

  Lyappa arm at the RKK Energiya museum

• RP1357 p165 Repositioning Kvant module using Lyappa arm.svg

  A diagram showing how the arm was used to relocate Kvant-2.

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  A diagram showing the Konus drogue and module movements around Mir's docking node