Astronaut Jessica Meir Updates Cold Atom Lab on International Space Station
NASA astronaut Jessica Meir recently performed hardware updates on the Cold Atom Lab (CAL) aboard the International Space Station. The work, conducted on May 8, 2026, involved inspecting optical fibers to maintain the facility's capabilities. CAL, managed by Caltech and operated by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, chills atoms to near absolute zero to study quantum phenomena.
NASA astronaut Jessica Meir carried out hardware updates for the agency’s Cold Atom Lab (CAL) on May 8, 2026. Aboard the International Space Station (ISS), Meir inspected optical fibers during the installation process.
The Cold Atom Lab is approximately the size of a minifridge and is remotely operated from Earth. Its primary function is to cool atoms to extreme temperatures, specifically below minus 459 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 273.15 degrees Celsius). These temperatures are so close to absolute zero that atoms form a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), which is a distinct fifth state of matter.
Studying BECs allows scientists to observe the quantum properties of atoms at a visible scale. This includes phenomena such as wave-particle duality, where atoms and particles exhibit characteristics of both solid objects and waves.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, managed by Caltech in Pasadena, designed, built, and operates the Cold Atom Lab. The project is sponsored by the Biological and Physical Sciences (BPS) division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The BPS division focuses on using space environments for scientific investigations that are not feasible on Earth, aiming to advance fundamental scientific knowledge for future space exploration and to benefit life on Earth.
According to NASA Breaking News, this work enables continued research into the quantum world.
