AI in Space

"I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that"

AI has become a reality and it seems like everybody would have to embrace it in order to survive. All of us are getting more and more comfortable with taking an answer from our AI agents.

Space is not an exception. It is inevitable that AI will play an increasingly vital role in the space industry, from space mission planning to autonomous satellite operations.

In 2023, SpaceX marked a step forward in the use of AI in space by launching a satellite with AI tech for autonomous navigation. Space rockets and satellites are increasingly relying upon AI for maneuvering. AI-driven operation will be a key asset as space gets more congested with new mega-constellations to avoid satellite collisions.

AI has also been used to process massive datasets. As Todd Probert the president of HawkEye 360 has said, mankind’s ability to sense has outpaced our ability to make sense. It is not possible for us humans to process massive amounts of satellite data. Machine learning has become the key technology for satellite imagery processing. Even beyond, we believe that predictive forecasting will be possible with high-resolution satellites coupled with AI. There are already several companies that are attempting to improve precision agriculture and natural resource management with AI-powered satellites.

And there’s the Golden Dome. It is a defense network designed to neutralize hypersonic attacks, ambitiously announced by no other US President Donald Trump. The architecture will require a massive amount of multidimensional data processing and autonomous decision-making capabilities that can be achieved only with seamless AI.

As we push the boundaries of space, AI use cases in space will continue to increase. It will play a transformative role in the future of space exploration as our bodies are too fragile to explore space without the help of an autonomous system.

Despite AI’s numerous benefits, there are still critical challenges that we need to overcome. If we are to let AI control our space systems and applications then we must implement enhanced cybersecurity applications to protect them against hacking. Imagine if someone hacks into your system and attempts to block the signal, taking over the satellite, or even worse, self-destruction.

You know, the Terminator scenario of a world-conquering AI might not be a long way off if we aren’t careful.