Space station mystery crystal grows into a scrolling pyramid in microgravity

Astronauts on the International Space Station grew a potassium chloride crystal in microgravity that formed a hollow, scroll-like pyramid shape due to hopper growth—edges and corners extend faster than the faces when gravity is minimal. This gravity-free growth yields unusually orderly structures and fewer defects, offering insight into ideal crystal formation that could inform Earth-made semiconductors and other advanced materials.