Why Space Radiation Hinders The Role OF AI in Space

Things have, to no great surprise, changed a lot since the 1600s.

Where primitive methods looked to basic instruments such as astrolabes and used the support of their own naked eye for observing celestial bodies, performed calculations by hand, and had no assistance from robotic systems, current technology has forever revolutionised humankind’s ability to understand what lies beyond in the vast void of outer space. But what has really driven this force even forward and pushed the boundaries of man’s knowledge of our universe?

The answer is very simple. 

From processing of data and management and planning of missions, to autonomous exploration and air traffic control, Artificial Intelligence continues to change the face of the future of Astrophysics as we know it. It is being used for autonomous navigation, identifying anomalies, and assisting in discovering new celestial strangers out there that would never have been discovered otherwise for years. The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover utilized AI technology called Autonomous Exploration to gather images and autonomously plan its route. NASA implements an AI-based technology, SPOC (Soil Property and Object Classification) to inspect soil and atmospheric characteristics - mainly for Mars Exploration missions.  

But what is Space Radiation? Radiation is a form of energy, released as particles, electromagnetic waves or rays. It is made up of particles that are trapped in the magnetic field of Earth, particles released in solar particle events and galactic cosmic rays. Researchers have found the hindrance of the full working capacity of AI systems in space caused by many factors, one of the most significant being Space Radiation. In several experiments, the environment of deep space was mirrored in radiation chambers and AI hardware systems were seen to undergo radiation-induced shortcomings and failures.

AI operates by using chips such as CPUs, GPUs, and FPGAs in order to allow autonomous operations, robotic manoeuvres and aids in the capture and processing of images in space. The AI systems in space work without direct support from Earth due to limitations in bandwidth. 

Cosmic radiation has detrimental effects on technology launched into space. It can cause malfunctions in computations, leading to disastrous consequences. Interstellar space has many high-energy particles that can originate from sources like solar radiation or cosmic rays. When scientists test hardware in space, they find that these high-energy particles can derange the electrical charges found in computers and cause bit flips in computation. When this occurs, the hardware systems are damaged leading to incorrect calculations and errors.

These malfunctions can cause loss of integral data captured by those systems and lead to robotic errors such as robotic arm malfunction.

Scientists have developed some technologies to mitigate the effect of radiation on AI, but none come without some costs. Scientists use radiation-hardened processors in space missions but these are generations old and bring down the high-performance of AI systems. Hardware screening is also prerformed where commercial chips are tested with radiation but not all the chips pass to be used in space missions. Restructured hardware is also used, along with error correction codes, but these are expensive and often quite complex.

However, more error-resistant technologies are being developed to launch smarter AI hardware and software in space missions. Experimental operations are going on to try to create AI that itself corrects radiation damage and adapts to the harsh environments of space. To accomplish this, a great amount of time, data and money will be put into creating resilient and robust technology that will help us in future interstellar missions and will put modern engineering and technology to the greatest test of mankind.