Day Five

Nanotechnology, Artificial Intelligence, and Space Exploration

I just read a very interesting article on micro-spacecraft that are being developed by 'The Aerospace Corporation' working with NASA Ames Research Center. The spacecraft will be cone shaped, similar to the Apollo capsule, only much smaller - on the order of only one foot in diameter. This is being made possible through the application of nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology deals with the construction of machines and electronics on the scale of a billionth of an inch (smaller than the thickness of a human hair). The techniques for constructing such devices relies in part in photolithographic techniques such as are used to construct microchips. This technology allows us to construct much smaller, much more complex machines requiring much less energy to operate.

Some of the components of these spacecraft will be data recording devices, transmitters, accelerometers, chemical and biological sensors, and pressure sensors. Spacecraft of this size can be used as probes launched from larger spacecraft to explore much larger areas of a planets. They will also be used as black boxes to record flight information from satellites and the new CEV (Crew Exploration Vehicle) that is being designed as the next generation spacecraft to replace the space shuttle. In one application scenario they will be dispersed to form a network of interconnected nodes to gather information about a particular environment in preparation for subsequent exploration.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in designing similar devices is becoming more prevalent. Already, AI has been used to design antennas for spacecraft according to predetermined specifications. The AI is able to generate designs and "evolve" them to arrive at a design in which flaws and weaknesses have been eliminated through survival of the fittest type design reiterations.

The stuff of science fiction from only a few years ago is continuing to become science fact in relevant engineering applications. There is an article at the NASA website that discussed more details of what is coming in this area of technology.

View the article at NASA's Micro Spacecraft.