NASA astronaut Jessica Meir has completed a series of hardware upgrades to the Cold Atom Lab (CAL) aboard the International Space Station (ISS). On May 8, 2026, Meir inspected optical fibers as part of the installation of new components. CAL, which is roughly the size of a mini-fridge and operated remotely from Earth, is a key instrument for quantum physics research in microgravity.

CAL is designed to cool atoms to extremely low temperatures, below -273.15 degrees Celsius (-459 degrees Fahrenheit), approaching absolute zero. These conditions allow for the creation of Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) and other quantum states of matter, which are difficult to study on Earth due to gravity. The microgravity environment of the ISS provides an ideal setting to observe these phenomena for longer durations and with greater precision, opening new avenues for fundamental research in quantum mechanics and the search for new technological applications.

The upgrades performed by astronaut Meir are crucial for maintaining CAL’s operational capability and enabling future experiments. This type of in-orbit maintenance underscores the importance of human presence in space for advancing scientific research, particularly in complex fields such as quantum physics. Data obtained from CAL contributes to our understanding of matter at its most fundamental levels and could have implications for the development of advanced quantum sensors and quantum computing technologies.