Artificial Intelligence holds the promise of transforming space exploration and satellite operations in ways that could be transformative:

While space agencies and companies are looking forward to reaching out to other planets and moons or launching increasingly large numbers of satellites, AI is proving to be an innovative direction. Possibilities of a significant increase in the efficiency of spacecraft operations, enhancement of scientific achievements, and opening of new ventures for space exploration are available by utilizing AI.

One important area in space is the use of AI for self-control of space-borne vehicles and robots. Some of the advantages of AI are that they are capable of making decisions based on data which is collected by sensors in real-time and without the input of human beings. This enables satellites and spacecraft to react adaptively to equipment breakdowns, space climatic variations, and opportunistic celestial observations. In the case of satellite mega-constellations that are intended by SpaceX Amazon and some other companies, AI may help to organize a society of cooperative satellites, which can create a network with global Internet coverage.

In spacecraft, AI can schedule experiments on board analytically and selectively downlink data to be sent to the ground only what is most important and useful. NASA tested AI co-pilots that are capable of performing certain tasks on their own during future crewed lunar and Martian missions. Through artificial intelligence, it would be possible to monitor what the crew is doing, perform ordinary tasks, and provide help in case of emergencies that happen in space and can be hardly resolved with traditional means far from the Earth.

AI also is particularly effective when it comes to interpreting the massive amounts of images, spectrum, and other observational data from orbiting satellites and rovers on planetary surfaces. Artificial intelligence relies on data that has been previously labeled to enable it to conduct analyses that may even surpass the abilities of scientists who are working independently. For instance, they may be used in finding subsurface water deposits on Mars or classifying galaxies from Hubble Space Telescope images.

As the years progress, the use of AI and machine learning in space will go on to expand as more related applications are performed by these systems. By doing so, AI claims that it is augmenting human creativity and allowing scientists and engineers to spend more time on what they do best – think and create. The possibilities of space discovery and further exploration have perhaps never looked brighter, thanks to the power of artificial intelligence. AI therefore is a perfect complement to humanity’s exploration of the solar system and beyond.

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