NASA is readying ChatGPT-like assistant for astronauts: How it'll work
From the look of it, AI could become a crucial part of future space missions, including crewed ones. NASA is now working on a ChatGPT-like interface that will allow astronauts to interact with the spacecraft, perform scientific experiments, and carry out maneuvers, among other tasks, per The Guardian. It could also help ground teams communicate with AI-powered robots exploring exoplanets and distant moons.
Why does this story matter?
Space exploration could receive a big boost from AI in the coming years. The AI-backed system will make it easier to communicate with the exploratory space missions which frequently lie several thousand kilometers from the planet. It will also be important for keeping track of key updates and for carrying out remote scientific investigations as well.
'It's not like science fiction any more'
"The idea is to get to a point where we have conversational interactions with space vehicles and they [are] also talking back to us on alerts, interesting findings they see in the solar system and beyond," said Dr. Larissa Suzuki, at a recently held IEEE conference on next-generation space communication. "It's really not like science fiction any more."
NASA wants to deploy a ChatGPT-like system for Lunar Gateway
NASA wants to use a ChatGPT-like system for Lunar Gateway, a space station that the space agency aims to build in the future. It will orbit the Moon and support NASA's Artemis mission. This system would employ a natural language interface that allows astronauts to find information for performing experiments or conduct maneuvers, without having to go through complicated technical manuals.
Lunar Gateway would require AI to manage the onboard systems
In fact, NASA mentions it would need AI and machine learning technologies to manage and operate the various systems on Lunar Gateway even when the space station is not occupied by astronauts. The related blog post lists a few examples like autonomous operations of science payloads aboard the Lunar Gateway, data transmission, autonomous operations, and health management of the Moon-orbiting space station.
The system can automatically fix data transmission glitches
Suzuki highlighted an example of how the AI-powered communications network would be able to automatically fix glitches in data transmission to Earth, deal with inefficiencies, and handle other such kinds of digital outages as and when they occur. "We cannot send an engineer up in space whenever a space vehicle goes offline or its software breaks somehow," she said.
Suzuki is investigating how to use machine learning in space
In addition, Suzuki is also studying how to use machine learning in space. She mentioned a concept called "federated learning" that would allow the robotic explorers to continue learning from the data without having to send them back to Earth.
