Artificial intelligence on board NASA's Earth Observing 1 (EO-1) spacecraft assisted in
imaging an eruption of the Erta Ale volcano in Ethiopia.
Credit: Ashley Davies/GSFC/EO-1 Mission/JPL/NASA
When a volcano in Ethiopia erupted in January, volcanologists hoped a NASA satellite would be able to train its eyes on the explosive event and capture photos. It turned out that a satellite was already a few steps ahead and had already begun observing the volcano, thanks to an artificial intelligence program on board.
The Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment (ASE) is an artificial intelligence (AI) software that has guided the activities of NASA's Earth Observing 1 (EO-1) spacecraft for more than 12 years, according to NASA. The EO-1 satellite was launched in 2000 as an experimental Earth-science satellite, and was outfitted with the AI guide in 2003. With the assistance of the ASE, the satellite can detect changes of scientific interest on Earth (i.e. volcanic eruptions, wildfires and flooding), alert researchers and autonomously take photos of the events.
This month, NASA will be retiring the EO-1 satellite, and agency researchers said the recent volcanic activity in Ethiopia was a fitting end to the satellite's mission. [The 11 Biggest Volcanic Eruptions in History] https://www.livescience.com/58423-nasa-artificial-intelligence-captures-volcano-eruption.html
