How AI is Helping Spacecraft Find Their Way on the Moon

In the heart of Adelaide, a group of clever minds is working on a game-changing idea. They're developing AI tech to help spacecraft navigate the Moon's surface. This isn't just about the Moon, though. The same tech could be used to explore other planets, as long as there's existing data to compare with. Meet STELLA, a smart AI system designed for long-term lunar missions. Unlike traditional methods, STELLA uses craters as landmarks to figure out where a spacecraft is. This is a big deal because, in space, there's no GPS. Other methods can have errors of several kilometers, but STELLA is much more accurate. Here's how it works: A camera on the spacecraft takes a picture of the Moon's surface. STELLA then spots craters in that image and matches them to a pre-existing crater map. This helps the spacecraft figure out its position. It's like using familiar landmarks to know where you are in a new city. But what if there are no craters or the area is shadowed? STELLA can still work. It can use images taken before and after entering a shadowed region to guess the spacecraft's path. This means it can still estimate positions while passing over places like the Moon's south pole, which is always in shadow. STELLA is autonomous once it gets a clear image of the lunar surface. It looks at the pattern of craters to figure out where it is. This is similar to how humans use sight to understand their surroundings. The AI makes this process super accurate, down to the meter. AI is crucial for this tech to work in the challenging conditions of long-term lunar missions. It helps STELLA recognize craters no matter the lighting or angle. This tech is being developed for the Japanese TSUKIMI mission, set to launch in 2028. The mission aims to survey the Moon for resources like water, and STELLA will help pinpoint exactly where these resources are. In short, STELLA's AI pipeline allows for precise, autonomous positioning. This is a big step up from traditional methods. For lunar science, it means accurate maps of key resources. For operations, it means we can plan exactly where to place infrastructure or habitats.