Orbital ATK’s Cygnus spacecraft launched to the International Space Station aboard an Antares rocket on May 21, and is scheduled to arrive at the orbiting laboratory in the early morning hours of May 24. Among the research it will deliver to the station is the Cold Atom Lab (CAL), a facility to create a spot ten billion times colder than the vacuum of space, which could help answer some big questions in modern physics. Zaiput Flow Technologies will seek to validate a liquid-liquid separator to enhance flow chemistry production in space. Researchers from Penn State University are sending an experiment to investigate and understand the complex process of cement solidification, which could address the high priority need for lightweight space structures for habitats that protect crew members. A fleet of CubeSats spanning everything from Earth science to educational outreach is also heading to the orbiting laboratory for deployment into low-Earth orbit.
