NASA Employs AI and Machine Learning to Enhance Mars Exploration

How and why NASA is using AI, machine learning on Mars - Times of India

Artificial intelligence (AI) is proving to be a versatile tool with applications across numerous fields - from accelerating drug discovery in healthcare and safeguarding against financial fraud to pioneering materials research. In a first, AI has now made its mark beyond Earth, with its deployment on Mars marking a significant technological leap. NASA recently announced that AI is helping scientists to identify minerals within rocks studied by the Perseverance rover.While "smart" spacecrafts are still a bit far from becoming reality, advances made with NASA's Perseverance Mars rover essentially offer promising steps in that direction. NASA said that for nearly three years, the mission has been testing AI to identify minerals within Martian rocks on Earth. However, it is now for the first time that AI has been used by the Perseverance rover on Mars to make autonomous decisions about rock composition, marking a pivotal moment in planetary exploration. What AI software is being used and how it works The AI software that is driving this exploration supports PIXL (Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry), which is a spectrometer developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The instrument maps the chemical composition of minerals across a rock's surface, and helps scientists to determine whether it formed in conditions that could have been supportive of microbial life in Mars' ancient past. The AI-powered "adaptive sampling" software autonomously positions the instrument close to a rock target and analyses scans of the target to find minerals worth examining more deeply. NASA says this is all done in real time, without the rover talking to mission controllers back on Earth. "We use PIXL's AI to home in on key science. Without it, you'd see a hint of something interesting in the data and then need to rescan the rock to study it more. This lets PIXL reach a conclusion without humans examining the data," said the instrument's principal investigator, Abigail Allwood of JPL. The system automatically focuses on interesting minerals, improving with machine learning. Based on the analysis done by Perseverance, scientists then decide when to 'pack' the sample for bringing back to Earth. Perseverance not the only AI-loaded rover on Mars AI is also playing a crucial role in the working of Curiosity rovers - stationed about 3,700 kilometres from Perseverance. Curiosity utilises AI to independently select and analyse rocks using a laser, determining their chemical composition by studying the vaporised material. Notably, Perseverance builds upon this by employing a more advanced AI system for autonomous navigation. While both rovers still require human oversight, these AI capabilities significantly enhance their efficiency and scientific return, allowing scientists to accomplish more tasks in a shorter time frame. The TOI Tech Desk is a dedicated team of journalists committed to delivering the latest and most relevant news from the world of technology to readers of The Times of India. TOI Tech Desk's news coverage spans a wide spectrum across gadget launches, gadget reviews, trends, in-depth analysis, exclusive reports and breaking stories that impact technology and the digital universe. Be it how-tos or the latest happenings in AI, cybersecurity, personal gadgets, platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook and more; TOI Tech Desk brings the news with accuracy and authenticity.

Perseverance rover now uses AI to search for life on Mars - Earth.com

We dream of exploring strange, new worlds and discovering new life forms -- ideally without having to do all the work ourselves. NASA's Perseverance Mars Rover is leading the way by giving us a sneak peek of what can be achieved with AI in space. With the help of its onboard AI, the Perseverance rover has been engaging in a unique kind of treasure hunt on the red planet's rocky landscape. But instead of gold and jewels, it's after something arguably more valuable - minerals. For almost three years, the rover has been using AI to hunt for minerals in Martian rocks, making it the first-ever Mars mission to use AI for autonomous, real-time analysis of rock composition. Behind this innovative use of AI is Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL), a spectrometer developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California. According to Abigail Allwood, JPL's principal investigator for PIXL, this clever instrument uses the artificial intelligence onboard Perseverance to zero in on minerals of interest in Martian rocks, in real-time. "We use PIXL's AI to home in on key science," Allwood explained. "Without it, you'd see a hint of something interesting in the data and then need to rescan the rock to study it more. This lets PIXL reach a conclusion without humans examining the data." Another feather in Perseverance's cap is its ability to determine when it's time to drill a core of rock and set it aside for future study back on our home planet. It's all part and parcel of NASA's ambitious Mars Sample Return campaign, a crucial part of our efforts to understand Mars' geologic history and, potentially, its capacity to host life. Perseverance's AI-driven approach to mineral hunting is known as "adaptive sampling." In simple terms, this means that the rover's AI scans a rock, identifies minerals of interest, and then autonomously decides where to focus its research further. All this is done without needing to communicate with mission control back on Earth, saving both time and resources. Peter Lawson, who spearheaded the implementation of adaptive sampling before retiring from JPL, puts it in perspective. "The idea behind PIXL's adaptive sampling is to help scientists find the needle within a haystack of data, freeing up time and energy for them to focus on other things," explained Lawson. "Ultimately, it helps us gather the best science more quickly." Adaptive sampling aids scientists in uncovering the all-important needle in the haystack of data, allowing them to channel their attention and energy elsewhere. The result? High-quality Mars science delivered at an accelerated pace. AI enhances PIXL's functionality in two significant ways. Initially, it ensures precise positioning of the instrument once it is near a rock target. Positioned at the end of Perseverance's robotic arm, PIXL's spectrometer is mounted on six minute robotic legs, known as a hexapod. This intricate setup allows PIXL's camera to continuously monitor the distance between the instrument and the rock target, facilitating precise positioning. The considerable temperature fluctuations on Mars cause Perseverance's arm to expand or contract minutely, potentially disrupting PIXL's aim. To counter this, the hexapod autonomously adjusts the instrument, enabling it to achieve proximity to the rock target without making contact. "We need micrometer-scale adjustments to achieve the required accuracy," Allwood explained. "PIXL gets close enough to the rock to make an engineer's hair stand on end." This synergy between AI and robotics exemplifies the cutting-edge technology at the heart of our Mars exploration missions, highlighting the precision and adaptability required to navigate and study the Red Planet's challenging environment. Once PIXL is positioned, another advanced AI system takes center stage. PIXL meticulously scans a postage-stamp-sized section of a rock, deploying an X-ray beam thousands of times to create a grid of microscopic dots. Each dot offers a treasure trove of information about the chemical composition of the minerals within. Understanding these minerals is pivotal for answering profound questions about Mars. For instance, scientists might search for carbonates in certain rocks, which could reveal how water once shaped them. Alternatively, they may seek phosphates, potential nutrient sources for ancient Martian microbes, if such life ever existed. Predicting which of the hundreds of X-ray zaps will uncover specific minerals is impossible. However, when PIXL identifies particular minerals, it can autonomously halt to gather additional data -- a process known as a "long dwell." As machine learning enhances the system, the repertoire of minerals PIXL can analyze with a long dwell continues to expand. But don't think that Mars is the sole realm of AI in space; it's being put to work over 2,300 miles away by NASA's Curiosity rover. From autonomous rock laser-zapping based on shape and color to self-navigation, Curiosity has been a pioneer in AI-led space exploration. Its successor, Perseverance, has upped the ante with more sophisticated AI capabilities, although mission planning still remains a largely human endeavor with dozens of engineers and scientists involved in the planning process. With AI making leaps and bounds in its Martian field trials, David Thompson, a software developer at JPL, emphasizes that these advances are particularly important for future missions venturing deeper into the solar system. "PIXL is akin to a Swiss army knife, adaptable based on what scientists are investigating at any given moment," Thompson explained. "Mars provides an excellent testing ground for AI, as our daily communications allow us to refine and improve the system continuously." Future missions venturing deeper into the solar system will encounter prolonged communication delays compared to current Mars missions. Therefore, advancing autonomy in these missions is crucial, allowing them to explore and conduct science independently for the collective benefit of humanity. As communication windows dwindle for more distant missions, the importance of autonomous AI will only grow, paving the way for the next generation of smart spacecraft. As we continue to push the boundaries of space exploration, it's becoming apparent that our dreams of exploring the universe might not be such a distant reality after all. Thanks to the continued efforts of dedicated scientists like the team at NASA's JPL and the power of AI, we're inching closer to unveiling the mysteries of our solar system. After all, who knows what mineral treasures await in the rocks of distant worlds? -- - Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.

Here's How AI Is Changing NASA's Mars Rover Science - NASA

In this time-lapse video of a test conducted at JPL in June 2023, an engineering model of the Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL) instrument aboard NASA's Perseverance Mars rover places itself against a rock to collect data. Artificial intelligence is helping scientists to identify minerals within rocks studied by the Perseverance rover. Some scientists dream of exploring planets with "smart" spacecraft that know exactly what data to look for, where to find it, and how to analyze it. Although making that dream a reality will take time, advances made with NASA's Perseverance Mars rover offer promising steps in that direction. For almost three years, the rover mission has been testing a form of artificial intelligence that seeks out minerals in the Red Planet's rocks. This marks the first time AI has been used on Mars to make autonomous decisions based on real-time analysis of rock composition. The software supports PIXL (Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry), a spectrometer developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. By mapping the chemical composition of minerals across a rock's surface, PIXL allows scientists to determine whether the rock formed in conditions that could have been supportive of microbial life in Mars' ancient past. Called "adaptive sampling," the software autonomously positions the instrument close to a rock target, then looks at PIXL's scans of the target to find minerals worth examining more deeply. It's all done in real time, without the rover talking to mission controllers back on Earth. "We use PIXL's AI to home in on key science," said the instrument's principal investigator, Abigail Allwood of JPL. "Without it, you'd see a hint of something interesting in the data and then need to rescan the rock to study it more. This lets PIXL reach a conclusion without humans examining the data." Data from Perseverance's instruments, including PIXL, helps scientists determine when to drill a core of rock and seal it in a titanium metal tube so that it, along with other high-priority samples, could be brought to Earth for further study as part of NASA's Mars Sample Return campaign. Adaptive sampling is not the only application of AI on Mars. About 2,300 miles (3,700 kilometers) from Perseverance is NASA's Curiosity, which pioneered a form of AI that allows the rover to autonomously zap rocks with a laser based on their shape and color. Studying the gas that burns off after each laser zap reveals a rock's chemical composition. Perseverance features this same ability, as well as a more advanced form of AI that enables it to navigate without specific direction from Earth. Both rovers still rely on dozens of engineers and scientists to plan each day's set of hundreds of individual commands, but these digital smarts help both missions get more done in less time. "The idea behind PIXL's adaptive sampling is to help scientists find the needle within a haystack of data, freeing up time and energy for them to focus on other things," said Peter Lawson, who led the implementation of adaptive sampling before retiring from JPL. "Ultimately, it helps us gather the best science more quickly." AI assists PIXL in two ways. First, it positions the instrument just right once the instrument is in the vicinity of a rock target. Located at the end of Perseverance's robotic arm, the spectrometer sits on six tiny robotic legs, called a hexapod. PIXL's camera repeatedly checks the distance between the instrument and a rock target to aid with positioning. Temperature swings on Mars are large enough that Perseverance's arm will expand or contract a microscopic amount, which can throw off PIXL's aim. The hexapod automatically adjusts the instrument to get it exceptionally close without coming into contact with the rock. "We have to make adjustments on the scale of micrometers to get the accuracy we need," Allwood said. "It gets close enough to the rock to raise the hairs on the back of an engineer's neck." Once PIXL is in position, another AI system gets the chance to shine. PIXL scans a postage-stamp-size area of a rock, firing an X-ray beam thousands of times to create a grid of microscopic dots. Each dot reveals information about the chemical composition of the minerals present. Minerals are crucial to answering key questions about Mars. Depending on the rock, scientists might be on the hunt for carbonates, which hide clues to how water may have formed the rock, or they may be looking for phosphates, which could have provided nutrients for microbes, if any were present in the Martian past. There's no way for scientists to know ahead of time which of the hundreds of X-ray zaps will turn up a particular mineral, but when the instrument finds certain minerals, it can automatically stop to gather more data -- an action called a "long dwell." As the system improves through machine learning, the list of minerals on which PIXL can focus with a long dwell is growing. "PIXL is kind of a Swiss army knife in that it can be configured depending on what the scientists are looking for at a given time," said JPL's David Thompson, who helped develop the software. "Mars is a great place to test out AI since we have regular communications each day, giving us a chance to make tweaks along the way." When future missions travel deeper into the solar system, they'll be out of contact longer than missions currently are on Mars. That's why there is strong interest in developing more autonomy for missions as they rove and conduct science for the benefit of humanity. A key objective for Perseverance's mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet's geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust). Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis. The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA's Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet. JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.