{"id":17437,"date":"2022-01-05T18:29:51","date_gmt":"2022-01-05T10:29:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/amazon-teams-up-with-lockheed-martin-and-cisco-to-put-alexa-voice-assistant-on-nasas-moon-ship\/"},"modified":"2022-01-05T18:29:51","modified_gmt":"2022-01-05T10:29:51","slug":"amazon-teams-up-with-lockheed-martin-and-cisco-to-put-alexa-voice-assistant-on-nasas-moon-ship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/amazon-teams-up-with-lockheed-martin-and-cisco-to-put-alexa-voice-assistant-on-nasas-moon-ship\/","title":{"rendered":"Amazon teams up with Lockheed Martin and Cisco to put Alexa voice assistant on NASA\u2019s moon ship"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full-width\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"630\" height=\"472\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/220105-callisto-630x472.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-665477\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/220105-callisto-630x472.jpg 630w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/220105-callisto-1260x945.jpg 1260w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/220105-callisto-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/220105-callisto-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/220105-callisto-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\"><figcaption>The Callisto console will be tested in NASA\u2019s Orion capsule. (Amazon \/ Lockheed Martin \/ Cisco Illustration)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Alexa, when are we arriving at the moon?<\/p>\n<p>Putting Amazon\u2019s AI-enabled voice assistant on a moon-bound spaceship may sound like science fiction (hello, HAL!). But it\u2019s due to become science fact later this year when a radiation-hardened console rides along in NASA\u2019s Orion deep-space capsule for the Artemis 1 round-the-moon mission.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019ll be no humans aboard for the test flight, which will mark the first launch of NASA\u2019s heavy-lift Space Launch System rocket. Instead, Alexa\u2019s voice, and Echo\u2019s pulsing blue ring, will be interacting with operators at Houston\u2019s Mission Control for a technology demonstration created by Lockheed Martin, Amazon and Cisco.<\/p>\n<p>The project is known as Callisto \u2014 a name that pays tribute to the mythological nymph who was a follower of the Greek goddess Artemis.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCallisto will demonstrate a first-of-its-kind technology that could be used in the future to enable astronauts to be more self-reliant as they explore deep space,\u201d Lisa Callahan, Lockheed Martin\u2019s vice president and general manager of commercial civil space, said today in a news release.<\/p>\n<p>Including Alexa on the mission is particularly meaningful for Aaron Rubenson, vice president of Amazon Alexa. \u201cThe Star Trek computer was actually a key part of the original inspiration for Alexa \u2014 this notion of an ambient intelligence that is there when you need it \u2026 but then also fades into the background when you don\u2019t need it,\u201d he said during a teleconference.<\/p>\n<p>A little more than seven years after Alexa made its debut, it\u2019s finally getting off this rock. \u201cWe envision a future where astronauts could turn to an onboard AI for access to information, for assistance in doing their job, making their job simpler and more efficient, and ultimately for some form of companionship,\u201d Rubenson said.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Callisto joins NASA's Artemis 1 space mission\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IddypTYwowo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<\/figure>\n<p>With guidance from Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor for the Orion spacecraft, Amazon tweaked the Echo hardware to be more resilient to radiation in the space environment, and tweaked the Alexa software to be more attuned to voice commands in a capsule that can get noisier than your typical living room.<\/p>\n<p>Callisto also has a tablet-based version of Cisco\u2019s Webex videoconferencing system built in, with a whiteboarding feature that could come in handy for collaboration between Orion\u2019s future crews and ground controllers.<\/p>\n<p>The in-space version of Alexa takes advantage of the platform\u2019s ability to support voice interactions even if the spacecraft is out of communication with the ground. Local voice control means crews in lunar orbit won\u2019t always have to deal with the seconds-long communication gaps that Apollo astronauts experienced.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese are the all the sorts of challenges that we\u2019ve been working through to make this demonstration possible,\u201d Rubenson said. \u201cFrom a capability standpoint, we\u2019ve also added thousands of new interactions that Alexa can process that are relevant to space and to the mission.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Artemis 1 is due for launch from NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in the March-April time frame, with Callisto installed at the front of the Orion crew cabin.<\/p>\n<p>The team recently conducted an end-to-end  communications test to work out the bugs. \u201cWe had a couple of hiccups, but then we corrected those, and it was great,\u201d said Rob Chambers, Lockheed Martin Space Systems\u2019 director of human spaceflight strategy and business development.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full-width\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"630\" height=\"419\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Callisto-on-bench-12-01-21_041-630x419.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-665554\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Callisto-on-bench-12-01-21_041-630x419.jpg 630w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Callisto-on-bench-12-01-21_041-1260x838.jpg 1260w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Callisto-on-bench-12-01-21_041-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Callisto-on-bench-12-01-21_041-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Callisto-on-bench-12-01-21_041-2048x1363.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\"><figcaption>The Callisto console incorporates an Amazon Echo-like speaker and microphone, plus a tablet display suitable for Cisco\u2019s Webex videoconferencing system. (Lockheed Martin \/ Amazon \/ Cisco Image)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A team of virtual astronauts at Mission Control will put Callisto through its paces over the course of the weeks-long mission, which is due to range beyond lunar orbit. The tests will include streaming 720p HD video, sharing a whiteboard, getting readings on spacecraft telemetry and controlling the cabin lights.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe could imagine in the future potentially extending that to other types of devices,\u201d Rubenson said. \u201cMaybe it\u2019s controlling camera views, or controlling the configurations of the screens. \u2026 For this first demonstration, we\u2019ve just focused on the lights as a proof of concept, and then one additional capability that we built.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rubenson said the in-space version of Alexa will be capable of checking its earthly data banks for the latest news or sports scores. \u201cWe think this feature is very important, because if we are trying to help astronauts combat the isolation that\u2019s part of a multiweek mission like this, being able to bring some of the daily routine into the spacecraft could be valuable,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Jeetu Patel, Cisco\u2019s executive vice president and general manager of security and collaboration, said Callisto had to satisfy NASA\u2019s standards for security and reliability. The last thing you\u2019d want is for Alexa to drop out at a critical moment, or to be held hostage by hackers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaking sure there\u2019s a level of adherence to security and privacy, while ensuring that there\u2019s reliability on the connectivity side in space, is a non-trivial task,\u201d Patel said.<\/p>\n<p>Chambers said Lockheed Martin came up with the idea behind Callisto years ago and suggested it to NASA. \u201cAs you know, we\u2019ve built a few aircraft in our day, and no aircraft comes off the line these days without voice,\u201d he said. \u201cThe fact that we built spacecraft without voice, we thought, was kind of weird.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>NASA gave the go-ahead for the project, and Lockheed Martin hooked up with Amazon and Cisco to turn the idea into reality. The three companies are splitting the cost of development and compensating NASA for the space agency\u2019s costs. No taxpayer funds are involved, Chambers said.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full-width\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"630\" height=\"840\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Callisto-Alexa-Infographic-630x840.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-665551\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Callisto-Alexa-Infographic-630x840.png 630w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Callisto-Alexa-Infographic-945x1260.png 945w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Callisto-Alexa-Infographic-768x1024.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Callisto-Alexa-Infographic-1152x1536.png 1152w, https:\/\/cdn.geekwire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Callisto-Alexa-Infographic-1536x2048.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\"><figcaption>This infographic traces the procedure for virtual crew interactions with Callisto. Click on the image for a larger version. (Amazon Alexa Graphic) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>For now, there\u2019s no commitment from NASA to include Callisto on the crewed flights it\u2019s planning \u2014 such as the Artemis 2 round-the-moon mission that\u2019s scheduled for 2024, or the Artemis 3 moon landing that\u2019s set for no earlier than 2025. But all three companies hope that Callisto will find its way aboard future spacecraft.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re really looking to demonstrate something that would be of value to NASA and other space agencies, certainly all the commercial space players,\u201d Chambers said.<\/p>\n<p>Rubenson said the lessons learned in space should help Amazon improve Alexa\u2019s ability to perform earthly tasks as well.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you think about some of the hardening we\u2019ve had to do around vibration, and the ability to handle queries without connectivity, those are relevant for the work we do, for example, in Alexa-enabled cars,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Callisto could provide a teachable moment for the next generation of scientists, engineers and explorers: Amazon, for instance, is making more information about the Artemis 1 mission accessible via Alexa-enabled devices. The company is also rolling out a new Amazon Future Engineer program called Alexa for Astronauts, which will offer live virtual tours from NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center as well as curriculum materials keyed to Artemis 1. <\/p>\n<p>To get a preview of Alexa\u2019s Artemis offerings, and to set up reminders for upcoming mission milestones, users can say, \u201cAlexa, take me to the moon.\u201d But whatever you do, don\u2019t ask Alexa to open the pod bay doors.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Alexa, take me to the moon (Callisto on Artemis I)\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1W55-Z3BsuM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Callisto console will be tested in NASA\u2019s Orion capsule. (Amazon \/ Lockheed Martin \/ Cisco Illustration) Alexa, when are we arriving at the moon? Putting Amazon\u2019s AI-enabled voice assistant on a moon-bound spaceship may sound like science fiction (hello, HAL!). But it\u2019s due to become science fact later this year when a radiation-hardened console [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[4682,275,304,1658,4683,4684,472,625,190,4685],"class_list":["post-17437","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-alexa","tag-amazon","tag-artemis","tag-callisto","tag-cisco","tag-echo","tag-lockheed-martin","tag-moon","tag-nasa","tag-webex"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17437"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17437"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17437\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17437"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17437"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17437"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}