The drone racing course at TU Delft's Cyber Zoo is where neural-network AI systems are undergoing testing before being integrated into space missions. It's time for the races!Specifically, races driven by AI-powered drones. The Advanced Concepts Team (ACT) of the European Space Agency (ESA) has joined forces with Delft University of Technology's Micro Air Vehicle Laboratory in the Netherlands. The objective is to train neural-network artificial intelligence systems to compete in drone races. This initiative aims to evaluate how well AI can handle complex maneuvers, potentially influencing future space missions. (Somewhere in here, there's a Star Wars pod racing joke waiting to be made. ) In AI, neural networks imitate the way human brains transmit information between "neurons. " This mechanism holds significant potential for autonomous space missions involving intricate spacecraft maneuvers. Typically, humans devise maneuvers on the ground and then transfer instructions to spacecraft to execute them.

By using neural-network AI, spacecraft could autonomously perform maneuvers, adapting to real-time data and making course corrections almost instantly. After all, space is notoriously unpredictable. Related: NASA's commitment to using AI cautiously and responsibly "In space, every available resource must be used as efficiently as possible, including propellant, energy, computing capabilities, and often time. Adopting a neural network approach could enhance onboard operations, increasing mission autonomy and resilience, " explained Dario Izzo, scientific coordinator of ESA's ACT. However, as with any components used in space missions, the technology must undergo testing on Earth first. "That's why we chose drone racing as the perfect simulated environment to assess end-to-end neural architectures on actual robotic platforms, building confidence in their future application in space, " Izzo stated. To demonstrate the capabilities of AI for potential space missions, researchers are actively studying AI-powered drone racing at the "Cyber Zoo" course in TU Delft. Sebastien Origer, an ACT Young Graduate Trainee, added, "[U]sing drones allows us to establish trust, develop a solid theoretical framework, and define safety parameters prior to planning an actual space mission demonstration. "