Innovating in AI for Space Technology

Space technology stands as the epitome of human technical endeavour — yet it remains an arena where only the most rigorously proven innovations endure. The qualification process is exacting, the tolerance for error is virtually zero, and many promising breakthroughs never make it past the launchpad. At ISRO, however, we recognise that Artificial Intelligence offers a rare opportunity to leapfrog capabilities, provided it is meticulously engineered to meet the uncompromising standards of space. This is the journey of a small, young, and determined team that achieved the landmark of securing ISRO’s first-ever patent in AI algorithm for high-precision inspection in critical space systems. The team has also developed AI capabilities to forecast and provide prognosis of spacecraft health , which promises to be a vital safeguard for these expensive and irreplaceable national assets. Their innovations have reached far beyond spacecraft — positively impacting thousands of students in Bihar and other states through AI-driven educational initiatives. And their vision reaches even further — into the philosophical depths of how AI perceives, reasons, and models reality. From advancing ontology engineering to challenging the very epistemology of AI, this team is crafting new “world models” for a “new world” , one in which Artificial Intelligence is not merely adapted to space, but becomes an indispensable engine for its future.