Impact of AI on the Use of Space-Based Assets in Future Wars

Impact of AI on the Use of Space-Based Assets in Future Wars
by Launchspace Staff Writer
Bethesda MD (SPX) Dec 17, 2024

Artificial Intelligence (AI) will have a significant impact on the use of space-based assets in future wars, transforming how these assets are deployed, managed, and defended. It is worthwhile speculating on some key areas where AI will have major impacts on space warfare and the use of space-based systems may more effectively be employed. Let's start with the enhancement of satellite operations and autonomy. AI will lead to improved efficiency and autonomous operations of satellites. Functions such as satellite navigation, fault detection, and correction will lead to reduced need for human intervention. AI-driven systems will autonomously adjust satellite orbits, manage power consumption, and optimize payload operations, thus, increasing overall resilience and mission success during conflicts.

Space-Based Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) functions will be enhanced by automating data processing and analysis. AI driven systems can sift through large volumes of satellite imagery, signals, and other data to identify threats, track enemy movements, and detect anomalies in real time. This increased processing speed and accuracy can give military forces a significant advantage in terms of situational awareness and decision-making during battle operations.

Regarding targeting and kinetic operations from space, AI will be used to improve targeting and strike capabilities. While space-to-Earth kinetic strikes are largely limited by international treaties, AI could optimize the use of space-based systems for anti-satellite (ASAT) operations, enabling precise targeting of adversarial space assets. This capability could be used to disable or destroy enemy satellites, disrupting their communications, ISR, and navigation systems.

Space asset protection and cyber defense can be enhanced by AI to protect space-based assets from cyberattacks and physical threats. Such systems could detect and counteract cyber intrusions aimed at satellites, communication links, or ground control stations. In terms of physical defense, AI could enhance satellite situational awareness, enabling early detection of potential threats such as space debris, jamming, or direct attacks from adversarial space assets.

Regarding space domain awareness (SDA) and collision Avoidance, the use of AI will significantly improve SDA capabilities by better tracking and predicting the movement of thousands of objects in space, including debris, satellites, and other spacecraft. This capability is crucial for avoiding collisions, especially in crowded or contested orbits. During conflicts, AI-driven systems will help manage safe maneuvering and avoidance of unintentional collisions, even in hostile environments where space is heavily contested.

To learn more about the potential of AI for space applications see our new course on the subject.

A New Course for 2025: Artificial Intelligence for Space Professionals

Artificial Intelligence is the ability of machines to perform tasks that are typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning and problem-solving. The mystery to replicate the human brain started a long time ago with Plato and Aristotle, and has been merged with other sciences such as cognitive psychology and neuroscience. The mystery of the brain and mind has not been philosophically established, whether it is monism or dualism. AI overlaps with data science, computer science, and logicism. Not knowing enough about the mind, we are making mind analogies (biology) with electronics as calculators (digital). This is not straight-forward since the sensors are mostly analog and the actuators are also mostly analog. Artificial Intelligence is loosely defined to have: inference, learning, problem solving, linguistics, planning, search, computer vision, state estimation, actuation (typically in the form of robots), internal sensing, health and status, diagnostics, prognostics, optimization, expert systems, decision-making, etc. And how do you know when the computer has reached its goal? . .