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Unlocking the Origins of the Universe -
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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
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to test the concept of using a powerful magnet to conduct in-depth studies of sub-atomic particles 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, whose atmosphere affects them.
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Data has been captured from sources of positrons at high energies that could be evidence of dark matter,
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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, 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.
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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 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 to deliver full-time science operations for the lifetime of the station.”
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Additional time for data gathering and refinement 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.