Researchers use LLMs to pilot spacecraft with natural language commands

AI researchers have demonstrated how large language models like GPT-3.5 and LLaMA can be deployed to help humans pilot spacecraft in real-time through natural language commands. The breakthrough, detailed in a paper submitted to MIT‘s Kerbal Space Program Differential Game competition, represents what researchers call the first integration of LLM agents into space research and offers a glimpse of AI-assisted spacefaring becoming practical reality.

How it works: The system operates entirely through natural language prompts, allowing human pilots to communicate with spacecraft using simple text commands.

• A ground-based pilot might instruct the system not to “apply rotation throttles” when a vessel is properly positioned, or provide alternative prompts for the system to use thrusters for course corrections.
• The LLM processes these prompts and generates actions that control the spacecraft, similar to how self-driving car algorithms continuously react to environmental obstacles.
• The researchers explained that “the LLM then processes the prompt and replies with an action that will be plugged in KSDPG to control the spacecraft.”

Why this matters: While automation in spaceflight isn’t new, this marks a potential new frontier for using popular AI chatbot systems as automated copilots for space missions.

• The approach could help humans accumulate vast amounts of telemetry data—a collection of disparate data points from multiple sources—needed for successful space navigation, including critical metrics like velocity and attitude.
• Current automated systems handle routine procedures like tracking space debris and controlling deep space orbiters, but LLM integration could enable more intuitive human-AI collaboration.

Competition results: The LLM-based solution won second place in MIT’s competition, which challenges engineers to test novel methods for autonomous spacefaring.

• The winning system was built on algorithms that model actual spacecraft flight dynamics.
• Competition entries are judged on their ability to perform real-world tasks like chasing down stealth satellites using the Kerbal Space Program’s proprietary game engine.

The big picture: This research pioneers what could become a not-so-distant future where satellites and crewed space vessels are piloted collaboratively by humans and AI systems.

• The work builds on decades of science fiction concepts, from friendly AI companions like Commander Data to more cautionary tales like HAL 9000.
• “To the best of our knowledge, this work pioneers the integration of LLM agents into space research,” the authors wrote in their paper.