Due to recent observations, there is a renewed interest in GeV to multi-TeV cosmic ray measurements. Spectrum and composition measurements may in particular indicate dark matter contributions to the positron flux. Future instruments and their expected contributions to questions like cosmic ray origin, acceleration and propagation, as well as non-standard sources like dark matter or strangelets will enrich the observational base in the near future. The final flight set-up of the AMS-02 instrument is presented in detail and its performance is assessed. Its expected sensitivity to unusual sources of cosmic rays is estimated.