Since December 2005 the successor of PKE-Nefedov is onboard the International Space Station: PK-3 Plus.

(Left image: Mission Patch ©MPE/MK. Click on the image to get a description.)

It was operated for the first time by the Expedition 12 Crew (William McArthur, Valery Tokarev) in January 2006. For more on that see 'Latest News (2006)'.

PK-3 Plus is to continue the successful story of PKE-Nefedov. Many new features promise totally new results with a much higher accuracy, a deeper insight into the physics of complex plasmas.


At MPE also the next-generation complex plasma experiment is under construction: PK-4. In contrast to PKE-Nefedov and PK-3 Plus, PK-4 uses a DC glow discharge to generate the plasma. Whereas the former experiments are optimized for plasma crystals, PK-4 will be ideal to study fluid dynamics on the kinetic level. It will be sent to the Space Station in 2012.