# NASA Activates Upgraded Cold Atom Lab on ISS, Creating Universe's Coldest Quantum Matter in Space

*2026-06-23 14:02 UTC · Science · 1 min read*

> NASA's fourth upgrade of its Cold Atom Lab on the ISS enables space-based Bose-Einstein condensate experiments at the coldest temperatures in the universe, opening a new era of quantum 2.0 research.

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station have switched on NASA's newly upgraded Cold Atom Lab — a compact quantum physics facility about the size of a minifridge that chills atoms to temperatures below -459°F (-237°C), just above absolute zero. In its fourth major upgrade since 2018, the lab received a redesigned magnetic trap to alter quantum gas cloud shapes and improved metal atom sources, installed by astronaut Jessica Meir on May 8, 2026.

At these extreme temperatures, atoms fuse into Bose-Einstein condensates — a rare fifth state of matter beyond solids, liquids, gases, and plasma — in which quantum effects become visible at a large scale. The microgravity of low Earth orbit allows these experiments to run longer and reach lower temperatures than any ground-based lab can achieve. Five international research teams now share the facility.

Scientists describe the upgrade as the dawn of "quantum 2.0" — the era of directly manipulating large quantum states. Future applications include precision instruments for positioning, navigation, and gravity sensing, as well as next-generation quantum technologies for use both in space and on Earth.

## Sources

- [jpl.nasa.gov](https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-quantum-lab-aboard-space-station-gets-chilly-upgrade/)
- [sciencedaily.com](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/06/260622091507.htm)

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TechTools News · https://techtools.cz/tools/news/article/1877-nasa-activates-upgraded-cold-atom-lab-on-iss-creating-universe-s-coldest
Česká verze: https://techtools.cz/tools/news/clanek/1950-nasa-aktivovala-upgradovanou-laborator-studenych-atomu-na-iss-ve-vesmiru-vznika