GAPS
@gaps-experiment.bsky.social
I’m GAPS (the General AntiParticle Spectrometer), and I will soon fly on an Antarctic balloon mission to look for low-energy cosmic-ray antiparticles, helping us learn about dark matter! 🌌 https://gaps1.astro.ucla.edu/gaps/index.html
After 25 days and two full circumnavigations at high-altitude, GAPS has landed just miles from its launch point. GAPS Flight 1 is in the books!!
January 10, 2026 at 12:24 AM
After 25 days and two full circumnavigations at high-altitude, GAPS has landed just miles from its launch point. GAPS Flight 1 is in the books!!
Throwback Thursday to pre-launch times!! ⭐ GAPS has been in the air for over 24 days and nearly two full rotations!!
January 9, 2026 at 12:46 AM
Throwback Thursday to pre-launch times!! ⭐ GAPS has been in the air for over 24 days and nearly two full rotations!!
A huge thank you to our many remote monitors all over the world for their diligent 24/7 watch over the past 23 days (and those to come). Here's a peak at some of their monitoring set-ups!
January 8, 2026 at 12:31 AM
A huge thank you to our many remote monitors all over the world for their diligent 24/7 watch over the past 23 days (and those to come). Here's a peak at some of their monitoring set-ups!
GAPS has been up for over 22 days 👍😀
January 6, 2026 at 10:00 PM
GAPS has been up for over 22 days 👍😀
21 days and still going strong !!
January 5, 2026 at 10:26 PM
21 days and still going strong !!
20 days in the air!! 🗣
January 4, 2026 at 6:51 PM
20 days in the air!! 🗣
19 days and counting! GAPS is about halfway through its 2nd rotation !! 🌀
January 3, 2026 at 4:44 PM
19 days and counting! GAPS is about halfway through its 2nd rotation !! 🌀
for those who don't know,, there's a surplus of snow and ice in antarctica! 🥶GAPS has been up for over 18 days now
January 2, 2026 at 11:23 PM
for those who don't know,, there's a surplus of snow and ice in antarctica! 🥶GAPS has been up for over 18 days now
another behind the scenes photo and a happy new year!! 16+ days in the air 🎆
December 31, 2025 at 8:46 PM
another behind the scenes photo and a happy new year!! 16+ days in the air 🎆
the true secret ingredient of GAPS.. lots and lots of foam
15 days and counting!
15 days and counting!
December 30, 2025 at 5:08 PM
the true secret ingredient of GAPS.. lots and lots of foam
15 days and counting!
15 days and counting!
on-ice team working hard 😎 ... 14+ days in the air!
December 29, 2025 at 11:14 PM
on-ice team working hard 😎 ... 14+ days in the air!
the on-ice team celebrated the holidays in style... over 13 days in the air!!
December 28, 2025 at 10:16 PM
the on-ice team celebrated the holidays in style... over 13 days in the air!!
GAPS spotted by the on-ice team after a full circumnavigation around the south pole!! Merry Christmas to all our haters 🥳🌀
December 27, 2025 at 3:03 AM
GAPS spotted by the on-ice team after a full circumnavigation around the south pole!! Merry Christmas to all our haters 🥳🌀
Best Christmas present everrrr! GAPS has been up for over 11 days! 🎁
December 26, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Best Christmas present everrrr! GAPS has been up for over 11 days! 🎁
GAPS has been up for over 10 days and has almost made a full circumnavigation!
December 26, 2025 at 1:35 AM
GAPS has been up for over 10 days and has almost made a full circumnavigation!
"So so tempting but I’ll stick with NZ thank you very much…" -CH
December 25, 2025 at 6:08 PM
"So so tempting but I’ll stick with NZ thank you very much…" -CH
Happy Holidays from GAPS! 🐧
December 25, 2025 at 1:40 AM
Happy Holidays from GAPS! 🐧
GAPS celebrates over 9 days in the air! and counting !!
December 24, 2025 at 6:59 PM
GAPS celebrates over 9 days in the air! and counting !!
GAPS has been in the air for over 8 days!! 🥳 Follow along with live updates at www.csbf.nasa.gov/map/balloon6...
December 23, 2025 at 9:17 PM
GAPS has been in the air for over 8 days!! 🥳 Follow along with live updates at www.csbf.nasa.gov/map/balloon6...
Over the next few hours, GAPS will ascend to a lofty 30-40 km above sea level, reducing the amount of atmosphere above our instrument by more than 99%.
December 15, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Over the next few hours, GAPS will ascend to a lofty 30-40 km above sea level, reducing the amount of atmosphere above our instrument by more than 99%.
GAPS is up! The GAPS experiment launched into the sky this Monday, December 15th at 5:37am NZDT (11:37am EST), on it’s mission to probe the nature of dark matter through the hunt for cosmic antinuclei.
December 15, 2025 at 5:41 PM
GAPS is up! The GAPS experiment launched into the sky this Monday, December 15th at 5:37am NZDT (11:37am EST), on it’s mission to probe the nature of dark matter through the hunt for cosmic antinuclei.
The entire experiment is weighed to make sure we can safely launch from "The Boss", a large crane on the ice shelf that will roll GAPS out of the high bay come time to launch. GAPS will be connected to a helium-filled balloon and released into space, hopefully for a multi-week flight!
December 4, 2025 at 3:31 PM
The entire experiment is weighed to make sure we can safely launch from "The Boss", a large crane on the ice shelf that will roll GAPS out of the high bay come time to launch. GAPS will be connected to a helium-filled balloon and released into space, hopefully for a multi-week flight!
GAPS needs to be compatible with the NASA/CSBF infrastructure that allows us to launch and communicate with our instrument while it is in flight. We first tested this on the ice with a compatibility test!
December 4, 2025 at 3:31 PM
GAPS needs to be compatible with the NASA/CSBF infrastructure that allows us to launch and communicate with our instrument while it is in flight. We first tested this on the ice with a compatibility test!
Over Thanksgiving break, we let the sun shine in our high-bay to test our solar panels! The entire instrument is powered by an array of solar panels positioned by a rotator which keeps it pointed towards the sun for maximal 24/7 exposure during Antarctic summer, producing > 1500 W of power!
December 3, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Over Thanksgiving break, we let the sun shine in our high-bay to test our solar panels! The entire instrument is powered by an array of solar panels positioned by a rotator which keeps it pointed towards the sun for maximal 24/7 exposure during Antarctic summer, producing > 1500 W of power!
We spent our first week reconnecting all the power and readout electronics in the "electronics bay" to bring GAPS back online after its winter stay in Antarctica!
November 26, 2025 at 11:18 AM
We spent our first week reconnecting all the power and readout electronics in the "electronics bay" to bring GAPS back online after its winter stay in Antarctica!