AstroForge to Test AI-Driven Autonomy on 2027 Deep-Space Probe
AstroForge plans to launch its first spacecraft controlled by an in-house transformer model called Solo in 2027, aiming for fully autonomous operation.
Founded in 2022, AstroForge is developing asteroid-mining technology and seeks to overcome the high cost of ground-based communications by embedding intelligence directly on its spacecraft. Its new autonomous stack, Solo, uses a transformer-based model trained on sensor data and incorporates conventional control routines for subsystems such as power and navigation. Previous probes, including the Odin spacecraft launched in 2025, suffered loss of contact, prompting the shift toward onboard AI.
The upcoming DeepSpace-2 mission, scheduled for launch by the first Stock Space rocket and riding with Intuitive Machines' third lunar flight, will carry Solo in a shadow-mode trial to prove the concept. CEO Matthew Gialich says the goal is constrained autonomy, not universal spacecraft AI, and the team may eventually forgo radios entirely on future flights.
