A new addition to the International Space Station marks the beginning of exciting new explorations of exotic matter. This is Bikal, the Bose Einstein condensate and cold atom laboratory. A joint venture between NASA and the German Aerospace Center, Bikal will enable scientists across the globe to eliminate one pesky forest that plagues earthbound experiments. Gravity A Bose Einstein condensate is a state of matter formed by cooling a gas of extremely low density to just above absolute zero. Systems like this enable scientists to study aspects of quantum mechanics on a relatively big scale and could hold the key to bridging quantum mechanics to general relativity. Methods for generating Bose Einstein condensates vary according to how they trap atoms, using either optics or magnets to do the trick. But typical experiments are hampered by the force of gravity. In a standard setup, gravity deforms optical and magnetic traps. That causes atoms to simply fall toward the edge of the test chamber and limits the amount of time scientists have to capture meaningful results. Drop towers and parabolic flights help buy more time, but even then it's only a couple of seconds up to a few minutes. Binkal will offer unlimited access to microgravity conditions. The lab is also expected to provide a high flux of ultra cold rubitium and potassium gases. These gases can be prepped for quantum probing in less than two seconds. Supporting experiments that require extensive statistics. Magnetic traps are generated by a multi-layer atom chip and multiple pairs of coils. For the more, atoms can be exposed to blue-de-tuned laser lights to create traps of arbitrary shapes and 3D. Red-de-tuned light can also be used to create optical lattices. Users can conduct experiments by first translating their protocols into executable sequences. Software and test bed-based checks ensure that these sequences are suitable for execution on Binkal. Sequences deemed ready to run are sent to the German ground-based testbed for final qualification. Finally, qualified sequences are forwarded to the Binkal ground control station and scheduled for onboard execution. The results of each experiment are made available for download. Conceived as a multi-user and multipurpose facility, Binkal is designed for a broad range of applications and fundamental physics and includes capabilities for magnetic and optical traps, state preparation, coherent manipulation, and multiple detection systems. Binkal is set for a minimum experimental runtime of 1500 hours and shall be operated on the ISS for three years.