International Space Station hosts NASA’s advances in creating the fifth state of matter
The American Space Agency (NASA) announced an important upgrade to its quantum laboratory aboard the International Space Station (ISS), which enables an unprecedented study of atomic behavior. By uniting the “Cold Atom Laboratory” (CAL) and the near absence of gravity in low Earth orbit, scientists seek to understand the properties of “ultracold atoms” in a scenario unrealizable on Earth. The main focus of the initiative is to observe clouds of atoms at temperatures close to absolute zero, about minus 273.15 degrees Celsius, the coldest conceivable point in the universe, where the energy of atomic motion ceases.
Jason Williams, project scientist at the Cold Atom Laboratory at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, highlighted in a statement that “at extremely low temperatures, matter exhibits behavior drastically different from anything we know.” He explained that, in this state, the wave characteristic of matter stands out, and ultracold materials demonstrate surprising properties, enabling high-precision measurements of time, gravity and movement. According to Williams, the laboratory’s updated structure offers advanced resources for exploring the mysteries of the universe.
How quantum mechanics redefines particle behavior
More on this story: Space Station receives upgrade in quantum laboratory to create the fifth state of matter by NASA
Atoms and their subatomic components are governed by quantum mechanics, presenting behavior that is radically different from that observed on a macroscale. The norms of quantum physics indicate that particles can occupy multiple locations simultaneously, a phenomenon known as quantum superposition, and maintain an enigmatic connection over long distances, quantum entanglement. Furthermore, they can move through space-time both as waves and as solid, fixed entities.
Observing these phenomena, however, is extremely challenging. Firstly, atoms are incredibly tiny; to give you an idea, if an atom were the size of a golf ball, a human would be as tall as the distance from the Earth to the Moon. Secondly, it is unfeasible to isolate and measure these atomic behaviors in common terrestrial environments, as thermal energy and the force of gravity interfere and distort the desired quantum manifestations.
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Aiming to overcome such obstacles, the Cold Atom Laboratory on the ISS, with dimensions equivalent to a minibar, uses lasers to cool rubidium and potassium gases to temperatures very close to absolute zero. At these temperatures, atoms form a state of matter called a Bose-Einstein condensate, where a vast number of atoms act as a single wave of quantum matter.
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Such an arrangement not only allows researchers to visualize quantum behaviors at a magnitude greater than that of isolated atoms, but microgravity also allows condensed matter waves to expand and develop without interference, for significantly longer intervals of time than would be feasible on Earth.
What’s new in the fourth update of the Cold Atom Laboratory
This is the fourth major renovation of NASA’s Cold Atom Laboratory since its installation on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2018. The space agency said key improvements include a revamped magnetic trap to confine the atom cloud, improved atomic sources and superior measurement capabilities. The new parts were launched to the ISS in April 2026 and have since been deployed, activated and began collecting cutting-edge data.
Learn more: International Space Station hosts NASA experiment to create fifth state of matter
In addition to enabling new investigations into fundamental physics, observations of these phenomena are essential for the development of future highly accurate space quantum technologies, with applications in positioning, navigation, synchronization and gravitational detection. In practice, these advances could in the future allow astronauts to navigate the lunar surface without relying on GPS and generate gravity maps of the Earth with unprecedented precision, revolutionizing space exploration.
As stated by Ethan Elliott, deputy project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, the last century has seen a quantum revolution that has driven the creation of lasers, cell phones and MRI scans. Currently, the team is focused on “Quantum 2.0”, which consists of the direct manipulation of large quantum states. He expresses the expectation that the improvement of this science in orbit will result in quantum technological progress of similar magnitude.
