Llama AI is Going to Space

Meta's Space Llama heads to the ISS to take on space science. Meta and Booz Allen Hamilton have teamed up to bring artificial intellige...

Meta's Space Llama heads to the ISS to take on space science.

Meta and Booz Allen Hamilton have teamed up to bring artificial intelligence into orbit. The two companies have launched a fine-tuned Llama 3.2 language model to the International Space Station (ISS), offering astronauts an offline, real-time AI assistant to enhance decision-making and daily operations.

Known as Space Llama, the system operates without the need for internet access, making it an ideal support tool in the low-connectivity environment of space. The AI assistant is built on Booz Allen's AI for Edge Environments (A2E2) platform, allowing it to function autonomously and answer complex questions from astronauts using both natural language and visual data.

The deployment uses the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Spaceborne Computer-2 in conjunction with NVIDIA CUDA-powered GPUs. This setup ensures high-performance and power-efficient computing, critical for space applications where resources are limited.

This AI model goes beyond chat capabilities. It includes multimodal AI features that allow it to analyze images, identify objects, and assist in anomaly detection, such as identifying faulty components or evaluating equipment malfunctions in real-time.

With this technology, astronauts can perform maintenance tasks more independently, without waiting for delayed instructions from ground control. The model also replaces the need for bulky paper manuals by delivering on-demand instructions and troubleshooting in plain language.

This isn’t Booz Allen's first foray into space-based AI. In 2022, the company conducted initial experiments on applying machine learning in low-earth orbit, and now with Meta’s collaboration, they are taking the next big leap in autonomous space operations.

The successful demonstration of the Space Llama project has laid the groundwork for future deployments in missions to the Moon, Mars, and deep-space habitats. It’s also expected to contribute to advancements in autonomous satellites, drones, and defense technologies back on Earth.

With Space Llama now active aboard the ISS, AI has officially become a vital crew member in the quest for smarter, more resilient space exploration.