August 29, 2025

This Week in Space 175: More AI in Space

58 minutes

So you're on a months-long flight to Mars... seven months with five people and one computer as crewmates. You've been told to put any fears of a HAL-9000 computer takeover of your mission out of your mind, but can you, really? In this episode, Dr. Daniel Selva of Texas A&M joins us to talk about his recent study of crew interactions and trust with AI using, well, computers, and the HERA habitat simulator at NASA's Johnson Space Center. The results were not entirely as expected! Join us for this fascinating look at crew-AI interaction in spaceflight procedures and emergencies.

Headlines:

SpaceX Starship Flight 10 Nails Test Milestones, Despite Some Reentry Damage

Simulated Satellite Deployments and Heat Shield Experiments Show Progress for Starship

SETI's 1977 "Wow Signal" Mystery Gets Closer to Natural Explanation

China Prepares for 2030 Moon Landing with New Hardware Tests, Spurs US Lunar Competition

Main Topic: AI Helpers for Diagnosing Space Emergencies (Interview with Dr. Daniel Selva)

Dr. Selva's Background and Journey from Europe to Texas A&M and Space AI Research

Using AI Agents to Assist Astronauts During Long-Duration, Deep Space Missions

Details of the DAPHNE Virtual Assistant Study: Lab and NASA Analog Experiments

Surprising Results: AI Shows Big Benefits in Lab, Mixed Results with Experienced Crews

Individual Differences: Experience, Trust, and Task Complexity Influence AI Effectiveness

Real-World Limitations: Emergency Charts vs. AI, Training, and Interface Design Challenges

Broader Implications: Evolving AI to Assist Mission Control, Crew Autonomy, and Future Tech

Fun Sci-Fi Comparisons: Favorite AI Assistants in Movies and the Reality of Human-AI Collaboration

Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik

Guest: Dr. Daniel Selva

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