AstroForge is developing an onboard AI system called Solo to help its spacecraft operate autonomously and resolve problems without constant instructions from Earth. The asteroid-mining startup says this could reduce the need for expensive ground infrastructure and large teams of flight controllers, particularly when communications are limited or a spacecraft encounters an unexpected failure.

Solo combines conventional control software with specialised models for systems such as power and navigation, plus an intelligence layer trained on data from about 2,500 spacecraft sensors. AstroForge plans to test the technology on a spacecraft launching in 2027, following earlier missions that suffered serious anomalies, including the loss of control of its 2025 Odin spacecraft; the company has raised $56 million and says building a global ground network could cost about $200 million.