Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02)
Quick Facts
The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer was delivered aboard space shuttle Endeavour on its final flight one mission before the Space Shuttle Program ended in 2011.
The AMS is an antimatter and dark matter detector attached to the orbital outpost’s S3 truss segment.
The AMS was removed from the shuttle’s payload bay with its Canadarm robotic arm and handed off to the station’s Canadarm2 for installation on the S3 truss.
The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02) has collected and analyzed billions of cosmic ray events, and identified 9 million of these as electrons or positrons (antimatter). Researchers also observed a plateau in the positron growth curve and need additional data to determine why. Results suggest that high-energy positrons and cosmic ray electrons may come from different and mysterious sources. Solving the origin of cosmic rays and antimatter increases understanding of our galaxy. More info…
Mass: 18,739 lbs
Volume: 2,260 cubic feet
Power: 2,500 watts
Data downlink: 9 Mbps (average)
Mission Overview
Launch: 5/16/11
Installation: 5/19/11
Assembly Mission: ULF6
Shuttle Mission: STS-134
Vehicle: Space Shuttle Endeavour
Crew on station: Expedition 27
