NASA announced its inaugural Entrepreneurs Challenge seeking new innovative technologies that can help it further its missions. According to the announcement, the technologies they are seeking are:
For the inaugural Entrepreneurs Challenge, the areas of focus will be:
- Advanced machine learning and artificial intelligence for autonomous spacecraft and surface rovers, as well as for Earth observation and disaster management
- Advanced mass spectrometry for life detection and other science applications, using instrumentation that is beyond state-of-the-art in being low-power and low-mass, and utilizing innovations in sampling technology and processes that include cutting-edge materials or components
- Quantum sensors that support high precision assessments of gravity, magnetic fields, dark energy, and other measurements to support NASA science
From an AI perspective, this announcement is particularly interesting given that right now, two NASA astronauts are at the International Space Station, having traveled there thanks to technology developed by SpaceX. That in and of itself may not be particularly interesting, but SpaceX is the baby of Elon Musk, an extraordinary entrepreneur in many areas, but in particular, as the founder of Tesla, which uses AI extensively in the autonomous mode of its cutting edge electric vehicles.
NASA’s Entrepreneurs Challenge is a great opportunity to potentially pick up some funding for your AI (and other, as listed above) technology ideas that can be applied to NASA’s current and future missions. Perhaps more importantly, though, this new initiative of NASA offers the opportunity to explore the confluence of AI and other technologies as they apply to NASA’s mission.
The competition will take place in three rounds, all of which will occur in the remainder of 2020. If you’re interested in participating or learning more, check out the announcement.
Image by FelixMittermeier from Pixabay
