This article aims to present how Artificial Intelligence is being and could be used by the space sector in the human conquest of space, the use of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics in the Aerospace and Defense Industry in the world and the risks of Artificial Superintelligence and the need to its regulation to avoid its harmful consequences. Robotic missions from NASA and other space agencies already use Artificial Intelligence. As an example, we can mention rovers (with locomotion capacity, to analyze a larger area of a planet or moon) and landers (which land on a planet or moon to analyze it in loco) and the probes and space telescopes that are dedicated to the discovery and analysis of exoplanets (worlds existing in other star systems). Artificial Intelligence can make a decisive contribution to scientific and technological advancement in order to provide humanity with the necessary resources for human beings to implant new habitats in the solar system and outside it in search of their survival in the face of catastrophic events on planet Earth. Artificial Intelligence and Robotics have their applications in the World Market for the Aerospace and Defense Industry, whose highest revenues occur with their application for military purposes, followed by commercial aviation and, to a lesser extent, in the space sector. Even if Artificial Intelligence produces benefits for humanity, there is a risk that it will be used more for the evil and not for the good of humanity with the trend of its greater application for military purposes, that is, for cyber warfare in the race armaments in the world. With Artificial Superintelligence, the extinction of the human species could occur if it turns against humans producing killer robots. This situation imposes the need to develop control mechanisms for Artificial Superintelligence and intelligent systems in general. Recently, the European Union took a big step by establishing rules – the first in the world – on how companies can use Artificial Intelligence. That similar regulation be adopted all over the world.

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ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE HUMAN CONQUEST OF SPACE, ITS
OTHER APPLICATIONS AND ITS RISKS
Fernando Alcoforado*
This article aims to present how Artificial Intelligence is being and could be used by the
space sector in the human conquest of space, the use of Artificial Intelligence and
Robotics in the Aerospace and Defense Industry in the world and the risks of Artificial
Superintelligence and the need to its regulation to avoid its harmful consequences. The
term “Artificial Intelligence” (AI) was coined in 1956 by John McCarthy, during a
conference in the United States at Dartmouth College. Artificial Intelligence comprises
all the techniques that allow computers to mimic human intelligence. In the 20th century,
AI development made significant advances with the emergence of the digital age and the
first computerized systems. AI has become a dominant area of research and development
with the emergence of computers with high processing and data storage capabilities.
Currently, AI has a significant impact on many sectors of society, from healthcare,
education, finance, industrial and aerospace, among others. Despite its rapid growth, AI
remains a rapidly evolving field with much more to be developed [1].
Artificial Intelligence can also be performed through Machine Learning (ML). Machine
Learning enables machines to become autonomous and learn by themselves. Machine
Learning is a way to make an algorithm more complex. For this to be possible, huge
amounts of data are inserted into the algorithm, which adjusts and improves over time.
The more time and more data the algorithm collects, the smarter it becomes and so
machines process information in a similar way to humans, developing artificial neural
networks called Deep Learning (DL) [1].
Deep Learning (DL) is a specialized Machine Learning technique, in which the machine
trains itself by performing complex tasks using several layers of neural networks. A
neural network of an Artificial Intelligence system is capable of analyzing more than a
billion data in a few seconds, being an incredible tool to support a decision maker within
a public or private organization, thus guaranteeing the best option among the possible. As
the data collected is constantly updated, Artificial Intelligence systems also always update
their results, enabling managers to have access to recent information on variations in the
economy of a country and in the market in which a company operates [2].
Machine Learning is a field of computer science that gives computers the ability to learn
without being explicitly programmed. Machine learning is closely related to
computational statistics, which also focuses on creating prediction with computers. It has
strong ties to mathematical optimization, which provides methods, theory, and
application domains to the field. In data analysis, machine learning is a method used to
design complex models and algorithms that lend themselves to prediction. In commercial
use, this is known as predictive analytics. These analytical models enable researchers,
data scientists, engineers, and analysts to "produce reliable, repeatable decisions and
results" and uncover "hidden insights" by learning about historical relationships and
trends in data [2].
Deep learning (DL) can happen through supervised learning (e.g. in the space sector,
feeding the system with images of Earth and Moon or other celestial objects until the
algorithm can successfully identify the two or more object types celeste) or unsupervised
learning, where the network finds the structure by itself. Good examples of deep learning
are image archives, online translation services, and navigation systems for self-driving
cars or spacecraft. In the Space Industry, it is increasingly common for project managers

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and system engineers to integrate Artificial Intelligence systems into space missions. The
first use of Artificial Intelligence in space exploration occurred with the probe Deep Space
1, in 1998 [1]. The Deep Space 1 probe was the first in a series of deep space and Earth
orbit research missions aimed at experimenting with new technologies in space. Its main
objective was to evaluate 12 new technologies during the primary phase of its mission. It
was quite successful in its endeavor and in its extended phase. It met with comet Borrely
and obtained the best images of this comet [9].
Artificial Intelligence in the space sector
The most promising Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications for the Space Industry are
the following [1]:
1) Satellite Operations: AI is used in particular to aid the operation of large satellite
constellations and minimize human error and personnel operating costs. Space agencies
such as NASA and ESA have been developing new AI-based automation procedures to
reduce operators' workload. The automation of terrestrial and space segments will reduce
the need for human intervention, especially for large constellations and interplanetary
travel, such as automated maneuvering systems to prevent collisions.
2) Earth Observation data processing: Earth observation satellites nowadays have the
capacity to capture a high volume of data. However, this factor increases the demand on
data management, storage and processing systems. The process of downlinking satellite
data (telecommunication signal or the information it transmits) to ground stations still
faces limitations to some extent, ranging from fundamental limits on the number of times
a satellite can fly over a specific location, to ground station coverage and even
interoperability limitations between ground segment systems and end-user applications.
What has been very common nowadays is the training of AI models to detect clouds and
correct images covered by them. Furthermore, these models are also trained to easily
analyze a high number of data and identify objects.
3) Interplanetary travel: The rovers launched most recently to explore Mars have
onboard computers equipped with AI that enable them to be autonomous to navigate and
be able to make decisions if they do not have communication or commands from humans
for some time.
Robotic missions from NASA and other space agencies already use Artificial Intelligence
to obtain greater efficiency and better quality results in their research. As an example, we
can mention rovers (with locomotion capacity, to analyze a larger area of a planet or
moon) and landers (that land on a planet or moon to analyze it in loco) that examine the
martian craters and space probes and telescopes that are dedicated to the discovery and
analysis of exoplanets (worlds existing in other star systems). The technologies employed
in the Artemis Program are also equipped with specific machine learning algorithms,
from the most basic instruments to the suits that will be used by astronauts on manned
missions to the Moon, especially with regard to life support resources [3] . The Artemis
Program developed by NASA aims to take humans once again to the surface of the Moon.
The program aims to deepen research on our natural satellite and the Solar System, in
addition to increasing the time astronauts stay in space as an important part of preparing
for a next large mission that has the planet Mars as its destination.
Already present in several space exploration missions, Artificial Intelligence can make
human life on other planets possible. For human beings to be able to live and, mainly,
survive anywhere outside the Earth, the chosen world must provide conditions equal to,

3. 3
or at least similar to, those of our planet (such as atmosphere, temperature, topography,
etc.). Mars, however, and any other planet in the Solar System is not even remotely similar
to Earth, which is why, in order to make its colonization possible, it is necessary to
“terraforming” it, that is, to reproduce in that place an environment that offers the
minimum premises for the survival of the human species. Terraforming will be one of the
advances of the new era of space exploration, with a fundamental participation of
Artificial Intelligence. Terraforming (adaptation of the atmosphere, temperature,
topography and ecology of a planet or a natural satellite to make it capable of sustaining
an ecosystem with Earth beings) is just one of the advances expected for the new era of
space exploration, in addition to the increase in new materials and the production of
complex cutting-edge propulsion rockets. Artificial Intelligence is present in all space
industry chains. Without it , it is impossible to advance [3].
It should be noted that Artificial Intelligence in space exploration drives the evolution and
use of different technologies on Earth. Space exploration is promoting a marked advance
in science, particularly in the search for new materials and processes. Artificial
Intelligence is used in all space industry chains. Without it, it is impossible to move
forward. For example, applying a biochemical model in space is totally different from
doing it on Earth. This paves the way for the development of new drugs and treatments.
The human challenges of conquering space lead to the resolution of complex problems,
benefiting all humanity. With the advancement of quantum computing (which uses
quantum mechanics to solve complex problems faster than traditional computers)
indispensable for more complex space travel, humanity will most likely experience the
advent of the 5th industrial revolution that will occur in space [3].
With the aim of making artificial satellites more reactive, agile and autonomous, the
European Space Agency (ESA) has launched the “Cognitive Cloud Computing in Space”
campaign, a project funding program to explore the application potential of the latest
developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and advanced computing paradigms [4].
Cognitive Cloud Computing is the use of computerized techniques that use scientific
disciplines of signal processing and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help humans in critical
situations, where the results can be uncertain and ambiguous [10]. According to an ESA
statement, this could lead to new practical applications for the study of life on Earth and
the exploration of other planets. In September 2020, the agency launched the first
artificially intelligent Earth observation satellite called ɸ-sat (pronounced phi-sat) that
carries an AI accelerator chip that automatically discards cloudy images and selects only
useful data. The application of modern computing techniques, such as processing data
directly on board satellites, could revolutionize space activities and the space economy in
the next decade. Making artificial satellites smarter offers significant benefits for future
space missions and business models [4].
The call for ideas was driven by the vision of the European Space Agency's (ESA) Agenda
2025, which calls for Europe to step up its role in space, support commercialization and
help create new space markets. Cognitive computing in space with programming
languages developed by the need to program, that is, to guide a machine to perform an
action, offers substantial commercial potential for space markets. The selected ideas
involve new technologies developed outside the space sector including blockchain (book
of records, shared and immutable, which facilitates the process of recording transactions
and tracking assets in a business network, edge computing (processing, analysis and
storage of data closer to where they are generated to enable fast, near real-time analysis
and responses) and neuromorphic computing (development of computers that behave
similarly to the human brain). The ideas address incredible applications across the spatial

4. 4
domain, including early detection of methane gas and natural disasters, autonomous
rovers on the Moon, space surveillance and tracking so that information is processed more
efficiently. These studies will help ESA further explore how cognitive computing can
reshape the future of space missions [3].
Artificial Intelligence will be able to contribute decisively to scientific and technological
advances, aiming to provide humanity with the necessary resources for human beings to
develop technologies capable of taking them to new habitats in the solar system and
beyond, in search of their survival in the face of catastrophic events such as the threats of
eruption of volcanoes that could lead to the extinction of life on planet Earth as it has
happened in the past, cooling of the Earth's core with the impairment of the terrestrial
magnetic field that protects us from threats coming from space, collision of asteroids,
comets, planets of the solar system and orphan planets with the planet Earth, emission of
gamma rays with the explosion of supernova stars that could lead to the extinction of life
on Earth as it has already occurred in the past, the continuous distancing of the Moon in
relation to the Earth and its catastrophic consequences about Earth's climate, the death of
the Sun, the collision between the Andromeda and Milky Way galaxies, and the end of
the Universe. With machines smarter than humans, Artificial Superintelligence will
occur. Humanity will be able to use Artificial Superintelligence to solve scientific and
technological problems that ensure the survival of the human species even with the end
of the Universe we live in by opening the way to parallel universes [6].
Artificial Intelligence and Robotics and their use in the Aerospace and Defense
Industry
Artificial Intelligence and Robotics have their application in the Aerospace and Defense
Industry Market whose revenue is shown in Figure 1. It can be seen from Figure 1 that
the highest revenue occurs more widely with its application for military purposes
followed by commercial aviation and, to a lesser extent, level in the space sector. This
means that the greatest applications of artificial intelligence and robotics occur for
military purposes.
Figure 1- Revenue from Artificial Intelligence and Robotics in the World Market
for the Aerospace and Defense Industry
Source: HTTPS://WWW.MORDORINTELLIGENCE.COM/PT/INDUSTRY-REPORTS/ARTIFICIAL-
INTELLIGENCE-MARKET

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Artificial Intelligence and Robotics world market in Aerospace and Defense sectors is
segmented by Supply (Hardware, Software and Service), Application (Military,
Commercial Aviation and Space) and Geography (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific
and Rest of World). The aerospace and defense industry is embracing robotic
technologies powered by sophisticated AI-driven technologies to improve overall
equipment efficiency and first-pass throughput in production. The market for artificial
intelligence and robotics in aerospace and defense is highly fragmented, with a number
of players present, including robot manufacturers and those offering products and
solutions incorporating AI hardware and software for aerospace and defense end users.
The Artificial Intelligence and Robotics market in Aerospace and Defense is poised to
record a required rate of return for an investment to grow, of over 8% during the forecast
period, 2022 – 2027 [5].
Some of the major players in the artificial intelligence and robotics market in the
aerospace and defense market are The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin Corporation,
Airbus SE, IBM Corporation and Thales Group. These companies are partnering with
aerospace and defense OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) to develop new and
advanced AI-based solutions that will increase the safety and efficiency of operations
while simplifying mission effectiveness. It should be noted that an OEM (Original
Equipment Manufacturer) is a company whose products are used as components in
another company's products, which then sells the finished item to users. In October 2021,
IBM and Raytheon Technologies signed a partnership agreement to develop advanced
artificial intelligence, cryptography and quantum computing solutions for the aerospace,
defense and intelligence industries. Systems integrated with Artificial Intelligence (AI)
and quantum computing technologies are expected to have more secure communication
networks and improved decision-making processes for aerospace and government
customers. Defense OEMs are collaborating on the development of autonomous
capabilities and sophisticated acoustic and imaging sensors (such as cameras, radar,
sonar, GPS, etc.) [5].
The risks of Artificial Superintelligence and the need for its regulation
It is likely that artificial brains will surpass the intelligence of human brains by 2050 with
the advent of Artificial Superintelligence, so this new superintelligence could become
very powerful. The fate of humanity would therefore become dependent on the actions of
these superintelligent machines. Even if Artificial Superintelligence produces benefits for
humanity, there is a risk that it will be used more for the evil and not for the good of
humanity with the trend of its greater application for military purposes, that is, for cyber
warfare in the race armaments in the world. With Artificial Superintelligence, a wide
range of consequences could occur, including extremely good consequences and
consequences as bad as the extinction of the human species if it turns against humans [7].
Artificial Superintelligence may represent the extinction of the human race, according to
scientist Stephen Hawking who published an article addressing this issue on May 1, 2014
in The Independent newspaper. Hawking stated that technologies develop at such a
dizzying pace that they will become uncontrollable to the point of endangering humanity.
Hawking concludes: today, there would be time to stop; tomorrow would be too late. The
indiscriminate development of an artificial intelligence could signal the end of humanity.
On the occasion of the death of Stephen Hawking, in March 2018, this famous quote by
the astrophysicist echoed in the press and on social networks [11].
Hundreds of leading artificial intelligence scientists and researchers have warned that the
technology poses an extinction risk to humanity, and several prominent figures, including

6. 6
Microsoft chairman Brad Smith and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, have called for greater
regulation [8]. For a long time relegated to the records of science fiction, the fear of
artificial intelligence has been rooted in public debate for some years, associated both
with the massive automation of the productive sector and mass unemployment and with
the perspective of contributing to the production of weapons more and more deadly and
the no less terrifying production of killer robots [11]. This situation imposes the need to
develop control mechanisms for Artificial Superintelligence and intelligent systems in
general. It is necessary that, in the development of Artificial Superintelligence, the
Principle of the Common Good be incorporated in all long-term Artificial Intelligence
projects. This is a unique technology that needs to be developed exclusively for the
common good of humanity [7]. Recently, the European Union took a big step by
establishing rules – the first in the world – on how companies can use Artificial
Intelligence. It is a move that paves the way for global standards for a technology used in
everything. That similar regulation be adopted all over the world.
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* Fernando Alcoforado, awarded the medal of Engineering Merit of the CONFEA / CREA System, member
of the Bahia Academy of Education, of the SBPC- Brazilian Society for the Progress of Science and of
IPB- Polytechnic Institute of Bahia, engineer and doctor in Territorial Planning and Regional Development
from the University of Barcelona, college professor (Engineering, Economy and Administration) and
consultant in the areas of strategic planning, business planning, regional planning, urban planning and
energy systems, was Advisor to the Vice President of Engineering and Technology at LIGHT S.A. Electric
power distribution company from Rio de Janeiro, Strategic Planning Coordinator of CEPED- Bahia
Research and Development Center, Undersecretary of Energy of the State of Bahia, Secretary of Planning
of Salvador, is the author of the books Globalização (Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 1997), De Collor a FHC-
O Brasil e a Nova (Des)ordem Mundial (Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 1998), Um Projeto para o Brasil
(Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 2000), Os condicionantes do desenvolvimento do Estado da Bahia (Tese de
doutorado. Universidade de Barcelona,http://www.tesisenred.net/handle/10803/1944, 2003), Globalização
e Desenvolvimento (Editora Nobel, São Paulo, 2006), Bahia- Desenvolvimento do Século XVI ao Século
XX e Objetivos Estratégicos na Era Contemporânea (EGBA, Salvador, 2008), The Necessary Conditions
of the Economic and Social Development- The Case of the State of Bahia (VDM Verlag Dr. Müller
Aktiengesellschaft & Co. KG, Saarbrücken, Germany, 2010), Aquecimento Global e Catástrofe Planetária
(Viena- Editora e Gráfica, Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo, São Paulo, 2010), Amazônia Sustentável- Para o
progresso do Brasil e combate ao aquecimento global (Viena- Editora e Gráfica, Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo,
São Paulo, 2011), Os Fatores Condicionantes do Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (Editora CRV,
Curitiba, 2012), Energia no Mundo e no Brasil- Energia e Mudança Climática Catastrófica no Século XXI
(Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2015), As Grandes Revoluções Científicas, Econômicas e Sociais que Mudaram o
Mundo (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2016), A Invenção de um novo Brasil (Editora CRV, Curitiba,
2017), Esquerda x Direita e a sua convergência (Associação Baiana de Imprensa, Salvador, 2018), Como
inventar o futuro para mudar o mundo (Editora CRV, Curitiba, 2019), A humanidade ameaçada e as
estratégias para sua sobrevivência (Editora Dialética, São Paulo, 2021), A escalada da ciência e da
tecnologia e sua contribuição ao progresso e à sobrevivência da humanidade (Editora CRV, Curitiba,
2022), a chapter in the book Flood Handbook (CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida United States, 2022) and
How to protect human beings from threats to their existence and avoid the extinction of humanity (Generis
Publishing, Europe, Republic of Moldova, Chișinău, 2023).