A prototype version of Onboard Artificial Intelligence Research platform (OnAIR) was tested on NASA’s NAMASTE mission. NAMASTE, which stands for Network for Assessment of Methane Activity in Space and Terrestrial Environments, used a fleet of autonomous drones to measure methane plumes at Alaskan permafrost sites. Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

SAN FRANCISCO – Artificial intelligence promises to make spacecraft increasingly resilient and capable of gathering data without waiting for instructions from ground controllers.

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Debra Werner is a correspondent for SpaceNews based in San Francisco. Debra earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s degree in Journalism from Northwestern University. She is a recipient...