NASA engineer surprised by 'alien' shape of AI-made spacecraft components

According to NASA engineers, the unusual appearance does not affect their performance. On the contrary, it is more efficient than man-made designs.

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center is using AI systems to design specialized spacecraft components . Experts at the space agency call them ' evolved structures ', saying they look ' out of this world '.

' They look weird ,' says research engineer Ryan McClelland, ' but once you see them in action, they make sense .'

To start, experts will list the specific requirements of the component for an extraterrestrial mission. Designers will sketch out the surfaces where the component will attach to the spacecraft's equipment, and AI software will then connect the contact points, drawing a complete and complex structure in just one to two hours.

In contrast to carefully cut and polished components, AI-made components have an unusual appearance - (Photo: NASA).

' Algorithms still need a human eye ,' says engineer McClelland. ' Human intuition knows what's right, and if AI is left to design, sometimes the algorithm can make the device structure too thin .'

This innovative structure has a high load capacity, is lighter in weight, and can be completed in just one week. Furthermore, a design project of this type does not require a large number of workers, so design professionals can complete multiple projects in a short period of time.

' We saw [artificial intelligence] reduce risk. After analyzing the stress of the object, we saw that the spacecraft components created by the algorithm did not accumulate stress like the components designed by humans. The stress levels were almost ten times lower when comparing [AI-made components] to components made by human experts ,' explains engineer McClelland.

According to him, these advanced structures can weigh only two-thirds of those designed by humans, while minimizing the risk of failure. Currently, AI-designed spacecraft components are present in many future NASA missions, including the Exoplanet Climate Infrared Telescope (EXCITE) - a telescope that will be used to observe hot exoplanets (similar to Jupiter, with a surface temperature of more than 100 degrees Celsius) flying in distant star systems.

Design illustration of the EXCITE telescope - (Photo: spiedigitallibrary).

' We're dealing with some difficult design aspects ,' says physicist Peter Nagler. ' It's the combination of specific surfaces and precise measurements that is a tough problem for our designers .'

NASA's application of AI design to the aerospace industry will set a precedent for other industries to follow. Initial applications are just spacecraft components, but soon we will have AI-designed Moon and Mars outposts.

In 1969, computers helped humans land on the Moon. Perhaps one day soon, artificial intelligence will help humanity settle under a new roof.