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Boeing team prototypes onboard AI for space

New application can intervene when communication with spacecraft is slow, jammed or out of reach.

January 21, 2026 in Space

Boeing engineers have prototyped an artificial intelligence (AI) application that can run on a variety of spacecraft.

Why it matters: This early milestone verifies the potential for future systems to identify and understand problems a spacecraft encounters, and take safe, preset steps to resolve the issues without waiting for a ground connection and command.

How it works: When a satellite or uncrewed vehicle can’t communicate with crews on the ground, minutes matter.

  • Onboard AI can detect unusual system behavior, run quick self‑checks, summarize issues, and suggest fixes on the spot. That keeps missions on track and cuts untimely back‑and‑forth between the spacecraft and humans.
  • Under clear safety rules, AI can carry out limited, tested actions before linking back with the ground, reducing operator workload and improving mission availability when communication links are contested.
Boeing engineers Kevin Kwak (foreground) and Klaus Okkelberg confer with fellow team members Arvel Chappell and Andrew Riha (both of whom are on-screen), who worked together to prototype a large language model on space-grade hardware. Boeing engineers Kevin Kwak (foreground) and Klaus Okkelberg confer with fellow team members Arvel Chappell and Andrew Riha (both of whom are on-screen), who worked together to prototype a large language model on space-grade hardware. (Zeyad Maasarani photo © Boeing)

What they’re saying:

  • “There are two areas of potential benefit,” said Michelle Parker, vice president of Boeing Space Mission Systems. “First, language‑style models can turn streams of data into clear, prioritized updates for the ground so teams act faster with better context. Second, onboard AI can be trained to spot situations and execute limited, verified responses without being pre‑programmed. That’s the leap.”
  • “We proved our current hardware can run an AI application from deep sea to deep space and everything in between,” said command and data handling systems engineer Andrew Riha. “This system works quietly in the background, efficiently processing information and delivering concise summaries and timely alerts.”

Grassroots innovation: The prototyping effort is part of a grassroots AI innovation initiative within Boeing Space Mission Systems. It was catalyzed by Arvel Chappell III, Satellites Systems engineer, who pushed for dedicated space and support so engineers could learn and build with AI.

  • Employees have been submitting ideas for consideration and winning concepts are receiving funding to explore further. To submit ideas, team members can join this AI Lab Innovation Chat on Teams.
  • “This is a long‑term commitment … this wasn’t a flash in a pan,” said Philip June, vice president and Space Mission Systems program integration officer. “As long as somebody’s got an idea, this AI lab is here for them.”

Zoom in: The current prototype uses a lightweight, open model tuned for low power. It reserves processing for mission tasks while creating plain‑language summaries and alerts for operators.

  • Boeing has used advanced AI in flight operations before. Moving language‑style reasoning on board shifts hardware from simply reporting data to software that helps interpret it in the moment.

What’s next: The team is refining the capability for reliability and cybersecurity, defining clear safety rules for trusted autonomy, and planning program‑specific integrations.