The Bose-Einstein Condensate and Cold Atom Laboratory

Microgravity eases several constraints limiting experiments with ultracold andcondensed atoms on ground. It enables extended times of flight withoutsuspension and eliminates the gravitational sag for trapped atoms. Theseadvantages motivated numerous initiatives to adapt and operate experimentalsetups on microgravity platforms. We describe the design of the payload,motivations for design choices, and capabilities of the Bose-Einstein Condensateand Cold Atom Laboratory (BECCAL), a NASA-DLR collaboration. BECCALbuilds on the heritage of previous devices operated in microgravity, featuresrubidium and potassium, multiple options for magnetic and optical trapping,different methods for coherent manipulation, and will offer new perspectives forexperiments on quantum optics, atom optics, and atom interferometry in theunique microgravity environment on board the International Space Station.