Space Exploration Blasts Off With AI ⁘ Communications Of The ACM

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Shooting rockets into space and peering into faraway galaxies has long hinged on the mathematical and engineering prowess of humans. Spaceships, telescopes, robotic devices, and other tools use complex mechanical systems and sophisticated computer programs to do their jobs.

A new era of space exploration is dawning. Artificial intelligence (AI) is radically reshaping a broad array of systems, tools and applications. Digital twins, machine learning (ML), generative AI, and other tools are now helping scientists unravel the mysteries of the universe, design smarter vehicles and robots, and accomplish myriad other tasks that had previously fallen outside the orbit of what was possible.

"AI and ML are becoming powerful contributors in the overall space exploration ecosystem," said David Salvagnini , Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer for the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Already, the agency has deployed AI for Martian rovers, developed digital twins to analyze flight telemetries, and used machine learning to discover more than 400 exoplanets from terabytes of satellite data.

From the earliest Sputnik and Mercury missions to the International Space Station and private space ventures , technology has rocketed to the vanguard of space exploration. Yet AI is suddenly changing the trajectory of space exploration. "These technologies can perform tasks that may be repetitive, tedious, or low value per labor hour, thus freeing engineers to focus on higher value functions that require human insight, creativity, and advanced analysis capabilities," Salvagnini said.

AI also helps engineers venture beyond the limitations of human knowledge and expertise. For example, digital twins can simulate launches, missions and scenarios, including what a colony on the Moon or Mars might look like and how it might respond to different conditions. The technology also can model specific machine components and how they would likely respond to specific conditions, such as a solar storm or asteroid impact.