AstroForge, a startup specializing in asteroid mining technology, is pioneering the use of artificial intelligence to autonomously control spacecraft. Unlike NASA missions, which rely heavily on large teams of flight controllers communicating with spacecraft, AstroForge aims to reduce the need for costly ground operations by embedding AI directly onboard. Their proprietary autonomous control system, called Solo, is built on a transformer-based AI model designed to manage spacecraft functions independently.

The company plans to test Solo on its upcoming mission, Autonomy-1, scheduled to launch in 2027 aboard Stoke Space’s first rocket. This mission, supported by NASA, will gather scientific data related to the sun and represents a significant shift from traditional spacecraft autonomy, which typically depends on conventional control algorithms rather than neural networks. AstroForge’s approach seeks to leverage advances in AI to overcome challenges posed by limited communication windows and hardware constraints.

Previous missions by AstroForge, including the 2025 launch of the Odin spacecraft, encountered difficulties such as communication failures, highlighting the limitations of relying solely on Earth-based control. These setbacks motivated the company to develop onboard intelligence capable of diagnosing and resolving problems independently. The Solo system integrates traditional algorithms with machine learning models trained on extensive sensor data to enable real-time anomaly detection and correction, such as troubleshooting power or navigation issues.

Currently, AstroForge’s third spacecraft, DeepSpace-2, is preparing for launch late in 2026 alongside Intuitive Machines’ lunar mission, with Solo operating in a monitoring mode to validate its performance. The company’s CEO, Matthew Gialich, envisions future missions where AI-controlled spacecraft operate without relying on Earth radios, pushing toward full autonomy. AstroForge’s ambitious strategy reflects a growing trend of applying advanced AI techniques to space exploration and commercial resource acquisition.