Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

NASA's Cold Atom Lab (CAL): system development and ground test status.

Ethan R Elliott1, Markus C Krutzik1,2, Jason R Williams1

  • 11Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109 USA.

NPJ Microgravity
|August 30, 2018
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Cannabis-Related Problems, Adverse Events, Clinical Experiences and Barriers to Intervening: Perspectives of Health Care Providers in Washington State.

Substance use & addiction journal·2026
Same author

People with psychotic disorders are the most vulnerable to cannabis adverse health outcomes: a study in WA State, USA.

Community mental health journal·2026
Same author

Cannabis consumption patterns, adverse events, and cannabis risk beliefs: A latent profile analysis in WA State.

Drug and alcohol dependence·2025
Same author

Community-Based Medications First for Opioid Use Disorder - Care Utilization and Mortality Outcomes.

Substance abuse and rehabilitation·2024
Same author

Pathfinder experiments with atom interferometry in the Cold Atom Lab onboard the International Space Station.

Nature communications·2024
Same author

Quantum gas mixtures and dual-species atom interferometry in space.

Nature·2023
Same journal

Machine learning ensemble reveals distinct molecular pathways of retinal damage in spaceflown mice.

NPJ microgravity·2026
Same journal

Time-averaged simulated microgravity ameliorates tau-induced deficit in Drosophila melanogaster.

NPJ microgravity·2026
Same journal

The impact of 14-day head-down bed rest with or without an exercise countermeasure on standing balance control: a randomized controlled trial.

NPJ microgravity·2026
Same journal

Simulated microgravity weakens wheat root microbial network against pathogens.

NPJ microgravity·2026
Same journal

Effects of the space environment on articular cartilage homeostasis: a review.

NPJ microgravity·2026
Same journal

Communication delay increases procedure time and instructor task load during simulated suturing by novices.

NPJ microgravity·2026
See all related articles

The Cold Atom Lab (CAL) on the International Space Station (ISS) enables ultracold atom research in microgravity. It demonstrates on-chip Bose-Einstein condensation and dual-species quantum gas mixtures for fundamental physics.

Area of Science:

  • Quantum physics
  • Atomic physics
  • Space science

Background:

  • The Cold Atom Lab (CAL) is a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory facility on the International Space Station (ISS).
  • It aims to provide a persistent quantum gas platform in microgravity.
  • Previous research was limited by Earth's gravity, restricting observation times and achievable ultracold temperatures.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report the status and capabilities of the CAL instrument.
  • To demonstrate key technologies for ultracold atom research in space.
  • To enable novel research in fundamental physics and inertial sensing using ultracold quantum gases.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing a compact atom chip-based system for ultracold atom generation.
  • Creating degenerate samples of Rubidium-87 (Rb) and Potassium-39/41 (K).

Related Experiment Videos

  • Employing microwave-based evaporation and sympathetic cooling techniques.

    • Main Results:

    • Demonstration of the first on-chip Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) of Rb.
    • Generation of ultracold dual-species quantum gas mixtures (K/Rb).
    • Achieving picokelvin temperatures and ultra-low densities in microgravity.

    Conclusions:

    • The CAL instrument is operational and ready for multi-user research.
    • Microgravity enables new regimes of ultracold atom physics, including free-fall evolution.
    • CAL will facilitate remote research by international investigators with broad applications.