JPL
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
JPL Logo
JPL Logo

CAL

Cold Atom Laboratory

A facility aboard the International Space Station, the Cold Atom Laboratory, will makes use of the space station's microgravity environment to study quantum phenomena in ways that aren’t possible on Earth.

Visit Mission Website
Cold Atom Lab Foreground

Mission Statistics

Launch Date

May 21, 2018

Type

Instrument

Target

Stars and Galaxies

Status

Current

About the mission

The Cold Atom Laboratory launched to the International Space Station in March 2018 and was installed a few months later. The facility uses lasers to cool atoms down to less than a degree above absolute zero. When clouds of atoms reach these ultracold temperatures they may form a fifth state of matter called a Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC). Distinct from gasses, liquids, solids and plasmas, a BEC makes the quantum properties of atoms macroscopic, so scientists can more easily observe them. Cold Atom Lab produced the first BECs in Earth orbit. 

Multiple groups are conducting experiments inside Cold Atom Lab, which is operated completely remotely from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The primary goal of Cold Atom Lab is to utilize the microgravity environment to open up new avenues of fundamental research into the nature of atoms and quantum science. Many technologies that impact our everyday lives are based on quantum phenomena, including transistors and microchips. 

Major results:

  • Cold Atom Lab becomes first facility to produce a Bose-Einstein Condensate in Earth orbit
  • Cold Atom Lab science featured in the journal Nature
  • Cold Atom Lab hardware is upgraded with the help of an augmented reality headset on the International Space Station

Mission Highlights

May 21, 2018

Launch

CAL was launched on May 21, 2018, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

May 2018

Installation

CAL was installed on the International Space Station in late May.

July 2018

Fifth State of Matter Produced

Using ultracold atoms, the lab produces a fifth state of matter called a Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC). This is the first time a BEC has been produced in Earth orbit.
Target: Earth
Cold Atom Laboratory

The Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL) consists of two standardized containers that will be installed on the International Space Station. The larger container is called a "quad locker," and the smaller container is called a "single locker." The quad locker contains CAL's physics package, or the compartment where CAL will produce clouds of ultra-cold atoms. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Tyler Winn

About the size of a mini fridge, the Cold Atom Lab Science Instrument (left) contains the Science Module, which cools atoms to nearly absolute zero. The smaller box on the right contains additional hardware.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Full Image Details

More about Stars and Galaxies

Video .

What's Up - January 2023

News .

NASA Gets Unusually Close Glimpse of Black Hole Snacking on Star

Video .

What's Up - December 2022

News .

VP Harris, French President Get First Look at Galactic Get-Together

News .

Baby Star ‘Burps’ Tell Tales of Frantic Feeding, NASA Data Shows

News .

NASA, ESA Reveal Tale of Death, Dust in Orion Constellation

Video .

What's Up - November 2022

News .

Haunting Portrait: NASA’s Webb Reveals Dust, Structure in Pillars of Creation

News .

NASA Telescope Takes 12-Year Time-Lapse Movie of Entire Sky

News .

Star Duo Forms ‘Fingerprint’ in Space, NASA’s Webb Finds

Project Website

Explore Other Missions

MIRI

Infrared Astronomical Satellite

ASTHROS

Disturbance Reduction System

Galaxy Evolution Explorer

Keck Interferometer

Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer

Herschel Space Observatory

Euclid

NuSTAR

About JPL
Who We Are
Executive Council
Directors
Careers
Internships
The JPL Story
JPL Achievements
Documentary Series
Annual Reports
Missions
Current
Past
Future
All
News
All
Earth
Solar System
Stars and Galaxies
Subscribe to JPL News
Galleries
Images
Videos
Audio
Podcasts
Apps
Visions of the Future
Slice of History
Robotics at JPL
Events
Lecture Series
Team Competitions
Speakers Bureau
Calendar
Visit
Public Tours
Virtual Tour
Directions and Maps
Topics
JPL Life
Solar System
Mars
Earth
Climate Change
Exoplanets
Stars and Galaxies
Robotics
More
Asteroid Watch
NASA's Eyes Visualizations
Universe - Internal Newsletter
Social Media
Get the Latest from JPL
Follow Us

JPL is a federally funded research and development center managed for NASA by Caltech.

More from JPL
Careers Education Science & Technology Acquisitions JPL Store
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
Acquisitions
JPL Store
Related NASA Sites
Basics of Spaceflight
Climate Kids
Earth / Global Climate Change
Exoplanet Exploration
Mars Exploration
Solar System Exploration
Space Place
NASA's Eyes Visualization Project
Voyager Interstellar Mission
NASA
Caltech
Privacy
Image Policy
FAQ
Feedback
Site Managers: Veronica McGregor, Randal Jackson
Site Editors: Tony Greicius, Naomi Hartono
CL#: 21-0018