Rabat – Moroccan scientist Kamal Oudrhiri has led a successful discovery mission by the American space agency, NASA, achieving a breakthrough in the field of quantum physics.
Two astronauts and three Nobel Prize winners participated in the mission, which concerns the study of the smallest atoms in the coldest environment possible.
The experiences that led to this achievement took place at the Cold Atom Lab on the International Space Station (ISS), which NASA had installed in 2018.
The Fez native has been working for NASA for over 20 years, and recorded a set of accomplishments and missions related to Mars exploration vehicles, including “Curiosity,” “Rovers,” “Spirit,” and “Opportunity,” as well as “Cassini” for Saturn, “Grail” for the moon, and “Juno” for Jupiter.
The first Moroccan to work at NASA, Oudrhiri received the agency’s exceptional service medal in November 2019.
The Cold Atom Lab is known for creating the coldest environment in the universe, and was upgraded in January to be even more efficient. Oudrhiri and his team installed a new powerful atomic interferometer, the first in space.
“With this upgrade, we replaced nothing less than the heart of the Cold Atom Lab,” said Oudrhiri.
The interferometer allowed the team to make one atom appear in two places at the same time, and then recombine it to appear only in one place.
Oudrhiri stressed that it was “extremely difficult” and required a dedicated team on the ground and two committed astronauts.
Following this achievement, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) will grant Oudrhiri’s team the 2020 prize in space science during a conference in November.
The two astronauts who participated, Christina Koch and Jessica Meir, conducted the installation of the new interferometer over eight days, following indications regarding the mission from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in southern California.
If the mission had failed, there would have been no second chance for quite some time, said the Moroccan scientist. “It would have taken us two years back.”
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Most of the staff members contributed to the scientific mission from their homes due to the coronavirus pandemic, making all communications virtual.
Moroccan scientists continue to shine across the world, revealing their talents and achievements regardless of the special circumstances of the lockdown.
Moroccan virologist Moncef Slaoui was appointed last Friday as the head of President Trump’s Operation Warp Speed team to find a vaccine for COVID-19.
This achievement pushed Moroccans to examine their country’s struggle with brain drain and the need to benefit from their compatriots’ potential.
