Alexa will fly into space with Artemis I

Artemis I, currently planned for March, will not only be the mission that will see the launch of the SLS (Space Lauch System) rocket, but also the mission that will bring Alexa in the space. On board the Orion spacecraft, designed by Lockheed Martin, an instrument (Callisto) which will allow you to interact with the Amazon Assistant and use Cisco Webex video conferencing.

Alexa in space with Artemis I

There will be no astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, which is mounted on the top of the SLS rocket. For the round trip to the Moon, a mannequin and a human-machine interface will be used which will provide audio and video communications with Earth. Callisto will allow you to transmit and receive audio and video via Speakers, Alexa, and iPad.

Obviously, Amazon had to change the assistant’s algorithms, given the environmental conditions very different from those in land-based homes. Inside the Orion spacecraft there are noises, vibrations and echoes. Furthermore, the answers from Alexa do not arrive in real time. Then the technology was developed Local Voice Control This allows the assistant to work even when there is no connection. Processing is done locally and there are various answers to pre-set questions.

Anyone from the mission control center could ask, for example, about the navigation speed or the temperature inside the spacecraft. Alexa will retrieve data from a file telemetry on board. The assistant will also be used to change the lighting. Your iPad screen will let you use the service instead webex From Cisco, but in this case there may be connection problems. Basically it would be like taking an echo show into space.

A later version of Callisto can be installed in the Orion spacecraft used for the mission Artemis II With astronauts on board. Users can stay updated on the Artemis I mission by saying the command “Alexa, take me to the moon“.