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Researchers use LLMs to pilot spacecraft with natural language commands
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AI researchers have demonstrated how large language models like GPT-3.5 and LLaMA can be deployed to help humans pilot spacecraft in real-time through natural language commands. The breakthrough, detailed in a paper submitted to MIT‘s Kerbal Space Program Differential Game competition, represents what researchers call the first integration of LLM agents into space research and offers a glimpse of AI-assisted spacefaring becoming practical reality.

How it works: The system operates entirely through natural language prompts, allowing human pilots to communicate with spacecraft using simple text commands.

  • A ground-based pilot might instruct the system not to “apply rotation throttles” when a vessel is properly positioned, or provide alternative prompts for the system to use thrusters for course corrections.
  • The LLM processes these prompts and generates actions that control the spacecraft, similar to how self-driving car algorithms continuously react to environmental obstacles.
  • The researchers explained that “the LLM then processes the prompt and replies with an action that will be plugged in KSDPG to control the spacecraft.”

Why this matters: While automation in spaceflight isn’t new, this marks a potential new frontier for using popular AI chatbot systems as automated copilots for space missions.

  • The approach could help humans accumulate vast amounts of telemetry data—a collection of disparate data points from multiple sources—needed for successful space navigation, including critical metrics like velocity and attitude.
  • Current automated systems handle routine procedures like tracking space debris and controlling deep space orbiters, but LLM integration could enable more intuitive human-AI collaboration.

Competition results: The LLM-based solution won second place in MIT’s competition, which challenges engineers to test novel methods for autonomous spacefaring.

  • The winning system was built on algorithms that model actual spacecraft flight dynamics.
  • Competition entries are judged on their ability to perform real-world tasks like chasing down stealth satellites using the Kerbal Space Program’s proprietary game engine.

The big picture: This research pioneers what could become a not-so-distant future where satellites and crewed space vessels are piloted collaboratively by humans and AI systems.

  • The work builds on decades of science fiction concepts, from friendly AI companions like Commander Data to more cautionary tales like HAL 9000.
  • “To the best of our knowledge, this work pioneers the integration of LLM agents into space research,” the authors wrote in their paper.
AI could help humans copilot space missions one day, researchers find

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