AstroForge Developing AI-Controlled Spacecraft for Autonomous Missions
AstroForge is developing an autonomous spacecraft control system called 'Solo,' powered by in-house transformer-based models, to reduce reliance on Earth-based operators. The company plans its first fully autonomous mission in 2027 with NASA support and aims to gather scientific data about the Sun. This approach contrasts traditional methods used by most space agencies that depend heavily on human oversight due to concerns over AI reliability. AstroForge has faced challenges, including anomalies during previous missions like Odin in 2025, which suffered communication issues beyond Earth's limited antenna capabilities. These setbacks have driven the company toward onboard intelligence solutions instead of building an expensive global ground network. The new system integrates traditional control algorithms with machine learning models trained on sensor data to handle tasks such as anomaly resolution and navigation. AstroForge’s third spacecraft, DeepSpace-2, will carry Solo in a test mode during its 2026 launch alongside Intuitive Machines’ lunar mission before the full autonomy demonstration. The CEO has stated that Autonomy-1 may not include radios for Earth communication to fully validate AI control.
Tickers: $LUNR
Topics: AI in space AstroForge NASA collaboration satellite autonomy space exploration