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Unlocking the origins of the Universe – presented by Science@NASA.

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One of the largest human-made permanent magnets in space resides on the International Space Station (ISS),

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and it’s helping scientists better understand the origins of our universe.

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The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02) is an observatory that is collecting data from measurements of cosmic rays,

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nuclei from hydrogen up to iron, as well as electrons and positrons that pervade all of our universe.

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The original AMS was launched on the Space Shuttle in 1998 to test the concept

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of using a powerful magnet to conduct in-depth studies of sub atomic particles

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coming from millions of light years from the Milky Way.

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AMS-02 was installed on the space station in 2011, with a projected lifespan of three years.

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Eight years later, it’s still working, having already measured and categorized almost 140 billion cosmic rays.

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Studying these particles can help researchers understand their origin in ways not possible on Earth,

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whose atmosphere affects them. Data has been captured from sources of positrons at high energies

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that could be evidence of dark matter, an invisible form of matter that makes up most of the mass content of the universe.

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More data is needed before scientists can better explain these results.

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This space-based observatory is essential to helping scientists answer many fundamental physics questions.

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But, with AMS-02 now five years beyond the lifetime it was designed for,

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will it last long enough to give scientists the information they seek?

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Dr. Kirt Costello, the ISS Program Chief Scientist at Johnson Space Center says,

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“That’s why astronauts are conducting a series of spacewalks, known as Extravehicular Activities (EVAs), in the Fall of 2019.”

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AMS-02 uses four cooling systems that circulate liquid CO2. Three of those systems have failed.

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As Dr. Costello notes: “The EVA team here at Johnson has partnered with the AMS team

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to design equipment and tools that will allow us to safely replace those cooling pumps.

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If everything goes according to plan, we think we can extend the life of AMS-02

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to deliver full-time science operations for the lifetime of the station.”

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Additional time for data gathering and refinement

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will allow scientists to continue learning more about the origins of the universe.

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For more on scientific studies being done on and from the space station, go to www.nasa.gov/iss-science

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For more information about the smallest and biggest ideas about our universe, visit science.nasa.gov.