Creating the Coldest Place in the Universe

NASA’s Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL) is set to launch to the International Space Station on Orbital ATK CRS-9, scheduled no earlier than May 20. The CAL is a multiuser facility that will use laser cooling technology to enable the study of ultra-cold quantum gasses. It will allow scientists to examine quantum phenomenon that are extremely difficult, or even impossible, to study on Earth and could lead to a better understanding of phenomena such as dark matter and dark energy. Although not an ISSInternational Space Station National Lab facility, the CAL complements efforts to utilize the unique environment of space to improve human understanding of the universe around us.

Read more about this exciting new facility in a recent Nature article highlighting the CAL.