A NASA Engineer Is Teaching AI How to Navigate on the Moon

Finding our way around the Moon is likely to be a tricky proposition . Unlike Earth , there are no road , preindication , or common landmarks on the lunar aerofoil — at least not yet . Until that happens , we may desire to bank on an artificially thinking system that ’s currently in growth .

As NASA prepares toland spaceman on the Moonas part of its Artemis program , the space way is seek to control that crews will be able to easily pilot across the lunar surface .

Alvin Yew , a research engineer at NASA ’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt , Maryland , is produce an AI navigation system for future Moon Internet Explorer . “ For guard and science geotagging , it ’s authoritative for explorers to know exactly where they are as they explore the lunar landscape painting , ” Yew said in astatement . “ Equipping an onboard gimmick with a local single-valued function would support any mission , whether robotic or human . ”

Ridges, craters and boulders that mark the lunar surface will help astronauts navigate on the Moon.

Ridges, craters and boulders that mark the lunar surface will help astronauts navigate on the Moon.Illustration: NASA/MoonTrek/Alvin Yew

The NASA engineer is teaching an unnaturally intelligent system to navigate its way around the Moon using features across the lunar surface such as ridges , craters , and boulders . Yew used data fromNASA ’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter , which has been revolve the Moon since 2009 . The artificial satellite is equipped with an instrument named LOLA , or Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter , which “ touchstone slope , lunar surface roughness , and generate in high spirits resolution topographic maps of the Moon , ” according to NASA .

Using the information collected by LOLA , Yew is training the AI on how to “ vivify feature film on the lunar horizon as they would look to an explorer on the lunar surface , ” NASA wrote in the statement . The digital panoramas created by the political machine would then be used to match the feature name in prototype fascinate by astronauts or rovers , thereby identifying sure locations on the Moon .

“ Conceptually , it ’s like going outside and trying to figure out where you are by surveying the horizon and surrounding landmarks , ” Yew suppose . “ While a ballpark location estimation might be leisurely for a mortal , we want to demonstrate accuracy on the reason down to less than 30 feet ( 9 meters ) . ”

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NASA is testing out different agency to provide cosmonaut with piloting on the Moon . originally this year , the space agency experimented with alunar backpackthat would furnish astronauts with with a high - resolution 3D single-valued function of their surrounding area .

NASA is also working to develop a communication and seafaring system called LunaNet , which will be sort of like having wi - fi on the Moon . However , the space agency needs multiple systems run together should communications signal be weak or deteriorate off while astronauts are up there .

“ It ’s vital to have steady-going fill-in systems when we ’re talking about human exploration , ” Yew say .

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