https://doi.org/10.1007/s41781-026-00161-y
Research
AMS-02 Through a Research-Infrastructure Lens for Space Radiobiology Translation
1
EP Department, CERN, 1211 Geneva 23, Geneva, Switzerland
2
INFN Sezione di Roma, Rome, Italy
a
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Received:
9
February
2026
Accepted:
27
March
2026
Published online:
3
April
2026
Abstract
The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02), operating on the International Space Station since May 2011, is widely recognized for its flagship contributions to astroparticle physics, including precision measurements of cosmic-ray leptons, antiprotons, and nuclei over more than a solar cycle. In this article, I present AMS-02 through the lens of a research infrastructure (RI): a long-lived, globally networked, and continuously evolving capability that produces curated data products, technical documentation, calibration knowledge, and operational experience that remain valuable beyond the original physics drivers. I argue that AMS-02 has matured into a reference infrastructure-like resource for characterizing the space-radiation environment in low Earth orbit (LEO) and for translating charged-particle measurements into space radiobiology and astronaut health risk assessment. I describe the instrument architecture and detector suite, the ISS-to-ground operational chain centered at CERN, and the data lifecycle practices that enable reproducibility and long-term technical memory. I then review how the collaboration’s Physical Review Letters Manuscripts (PRLM) can be interpreted as a sequence of validated RI outputs spanning time-averaged spectra and fine time-structure measurements. Finally, I outline a practical translation pathway from AMS fluxes and charge-resolved spectra to quantities relevant to radiobiology, including spectral inputs to transport codes, dose and quality proxies, and uncertainty budgets, and highlight interfaces with terrestrial medical physics, digital twins, and ontology-driven knowledge organization. The article concludes with recommendations for improving interoperability, FAIRness, and cross-mission benchmarking, positioning AMS-02 as a case study of how a fundamental-physics mission can generate RI-like functions and sustained societal value in “Space for Health”.
Key words: AMS-02 / Research infrastructures / Cosmic rays / Space radiation / Space radiobiology / Health risk modeling / Data stewardship / Technical memory
© The Author(s) 2026
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