Applications temporarily paused for research tracks — click to see what's open
Notice
Due to the volume of applications received, we are temporarily holding applications for all research tracks. We are reviewing current submissions and will reopen shortly.

Still open and actively recruiting:
8 GLOC 2026 projects are available — don't worry, we've got you covered. These are exciting, active projects that need contributors right now.
Secretariat (Operations, Media, Outreach) — including Editor and Social Media roles

Applications for Secretariat, Editor, and Social Media Management remain fully open. Apply below →
Space AI Research Group

Building trustworthy
AI for the
final frontier

We develop autonomous, interpretable AI systems for space missions — from onboard inference on resource-constrained CubeSats to formal verification of mission-critical decision-making. Pre-deployment validation, not post-incident response.

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Members
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Countries
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Publications
IAC 2025 Oral Presentation
Preselected · Acta Astronautica

Why we exist

Pre-Deployment Validation

Our methodology centers on interpretable AI validated before launch. We engineer systems that explain their decision pathways — not after something goes wrong, but before it ever could.

Full-Stack AI Engineering

From ML model architecture through deployment pipelines — covering onboard inference, satellite health monitoring, and Earth observation analytics across hardware constraints and radiation-hardened computing.

Mission-Critical Safety

Formal verification for AI in life-critical systems. Mars rover decision-making, satellite collision avoidance — mathematical proofs of behavior bounds, not just security hardening.

Explainability as Requirement

XAI in space isn't academic — when a satellite autonomously changes orbit, operators need to understand why. We're building the language for human-AI communication in space operations.

Quantum-Classical Hybrid Computing

Our QML division explores quantum algorithms for remote sensing and optimization in orbital mechanics — at the intersection of theoretical computer science and practical space engineering.

Hands-On Mission Integration

Real hardware, real launches, real data. Debugging edge computing on 10cm³ satellites, optimizing power budgets for neural networks, handling intermittent ground station contacts.

Not Hype. Not Flashy.

Reliability. Explainability. Accountability. We are not building AI that impresses — we are building AI that you can trust when the margin for error is zero.

AI That Helps, Not Replaces

We don't build AI to replace humans in space exploration. We build AI to help them operate in the most vulnerable environment humanity has ever attempted — where there is no margin, no fallback, and no second chance.

Research output

01
Space Mission Risk · IAC 2026
SATISH — AI-Powered Space Mission Risk Prediction: Real-Time Failure Detection and Adaptive Contingency Planning
View Details

A modular AI-driven framework integrating failure prediction, anomaly detection, and a decision support system for CubeSat platforms (1U–6U). Combines XGBoost, Time-Series Transformers, LSTM Autoencoders, and a PPO reinforcement learning agent with SHAP/LIME explainability throughout. Achieves 89.5–94.1% accuracy across platform classes. Aligned with UNOOSA and COSPAR guidelines.

Status: v1 Complete · v2 In Progress
Stage: TRL 2–3
Venue: International Astronautical Congress 2026
IAC 2025 Oral · IAC 2026 Oral (v2) · Preselected for Acta Astronautica
02
AgriTech · AI Systems · Ongoing
AgroTwin — AI-Powered Digital Twin for Precision Agriculture
View Details

An ongoing initiative developing a digital twin framework for precision agriculture, leveraging satellite remote sensing and AI-based environmental modelling to support real-time crop monitoring, resource optimization, and climate-resilient farming decisions.

Status: Ongoing
03
UAV Systems · Ongoing
Fixed Wing UAV — Autonomous Systems Research
View Details

Ongoing research into fixed-wing UAV autonomous systems, focusing on onboard AI decision-making, flight control, and mission planning under resource constraints — extending our core expertise in edge AI inference to aerial platforms.

Status: Ongoing

Research tracks

Each track operates independently with a dedicated lead, contributing to our shared research output. Tap any track to see its members.

Secretariat
Secretariat — Operations, Media & Outreach
Secretary Lead: Chidinma Amanna  ·  Overseen by: Anh (Jinny) Truong
The internal engine and external face of SpacexAI. Three sub-teams keep the group aligned, visible, and growing — Operations handles the internal machinery, Media handles visibility, Outreach handles external presence.
Sub-teams
Operations — Internal Engine
Scheduling · Meeting minutes · Internal documentation · Member onboarding/offboarding · Task tracking across all research tracks
Static: Knowledge Staff  ·  Dynamic: Operations Coordinator
Chidinma Amanna
Charlotte Nguyen
Sanjukta Deshpande
Marcus Nguyen
Media — Visibility Layer
LinkedIn · Instagram · Content calendar · Announcements · Conference coverage · Member spotlights
Static: Media Planner  ·  Dynamic: Copywriter + Account
Charlotte Nguyen
Marcus Nguyen
Recruiting
Outreach — External Face
Partnership outreach · Sponsorship · Conference networking · Startup spinoff external communications
Static: Outreach Strategist  ·  Dynamic: Outreach Associate
Recruiting
Literature Review
LR — State of the Art
Lead: Isabel LaCoss · Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Surveys existing research across space AI, anomaly detection, and autonomous systems to ground our work in the current state of the field and identify research gaps.
Members
Members
Isabel LaCoss
Abdelmalek Saadi-Drissi
Bhuvan Ravikumar
Emil Velichka
Hsien Hao Lai
Jimin Choi
Robert Larini
Sanjukta Deshpande
Leyli Oliver
Amuzu Justice
Methodology Writing
MW — Research Design & Writing
Lead: Paarvi Wadhwa · University of Delhi  ·  Co-Lead: Karthikeya Moyye
Develops the methodological foundations of our papers — experimental design, data strategy, mathematical formulation, and academic writing.
Members
Members
Paarvi Wadhwa
Karthikeya Moyye
Abdelmalek Saadi-Drissi
Anish Mahapatra
Aryan Kumar Srivastav
Hasibul Hasan Shanto
Meghana Sannapareddy
Om Atmaram Khairnar
Paula Ixquiac
Tanvi Gupta
Vidhi Jain
Regulatory & Ethics
RE — Regulatory & Ethics
Lead: Dr. Rachita Agrawal
Develops governance frameworks for AI in space — regulatory compliance, ethical oversight, human-AI accountability, alignment with UNOOSA and COSPAR guidelines.
Members
Members
Dr. Rachita Agrawal
M. Abdullah Khan
Anh Truong
Sulekha Komeravelli
Benjamin Brumm
Romane Croizet Fontane
Jessica Durbano
Onboard Intelligence & Systems
OIS — Architecture, Engineering & Validation
Leads: Bhuvan Ravikumar, Vidhi Jain, Manish R. Tiwari, Giustina Di Donato
Combines systems architecture with onboard AI model validation. Designs hardware pipelines and builds edge-optimized ML models for resource-constrained platforms.
Sub-tracks
Systems Architecture (SA)
Bhuvan Ravikumar
Giustina Di Donato
Carlos Morales-Ramirez
Floris Weyand
Chidinma Amanna
Tanmay Sharma
Benjamin Brumm
Technical Frameworks & AI Engineering (TF)
Vidhi Jain
Manish R. Tiwari
Anish Mahapatra
Aryan Kumar Srivastav
Hasibul Hasan Shanto
Jeeval Shah
Karthikeya Moyye
Vivekini Mata
Meghana Sannapareddy
Mudit Khater
Sanjukta Deshpande
Swayam Sanjay Pawar
Yassine Yousfi
Floris Weyand

Leadership board

PG Lead
Samrat Chakraborty
Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science
PG Co-Lead
Alizay Fatima
Institute of Space Technology, Pakistan
PG Co-Lead
Anh (Jinny) Truong
Foreign Trade University / University of Northampton
Literature Review Lead
Isabel LaCoss
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Methodology Writing Lead
Paarvi Wadhwa
University of Delhi
Methodology Writing Co-Lead
Karthikeya Moyye
Independent Researcher
Regulatory / Ethics Lead
Dr. Rachita Agrawal
Systems Architecture Lead (OIS)
Bhuvan Ravikumar
University of Southern California
Systems Architecture Co-Lead (OIS)
Giustina Di Donato
Technical Frameworks Co-Lead (OIS)
Vidhi Jain
Technical Frameworks Co-Lead (OIS)
Manish R. Tiwari
IIT Mandi (CCE)
Secretariat Lead
Chidinma Amanna
Operations · Media · Outreach
Advisor Board
Cybersecurity Advisor
Romane Croizet Fontane
Legal Advisor
Joseph Turano
Senior Technical Advisor
Jimin Choi

External Support

SGAC Community
Our members are active participants in the Space Generation Advisory Council network — connecting early-career space professionals across 190+ countries. Several founding members were recruited through SGAC community channels.
UC Berkeley — REYES Program
Research Experience for Young Engineers and Scientists. Preliminary members recruitment conducted through the REYES network, bringing in early-stage researchers with strong quantitative backgrounds.

Ongoing projects

Literature Review Track
LR1
An Autonomous On-Board Processing Architecture for Early Wildfire Detection Using a Structured CubeSat Formation
Closed
Applications for this project are temporarily closed. We are reviewing current submissions. Apply to an open project →
Methodology Writing Track
MW1
Resilient Space Architecture under Extreme Conditions
Closed
Applications for this project are temporarily closed. We are reviewing current submissions. Apply to an open project →
MW2
Review of Greenhouse Gas Production Using AI Models
In Progress
A comprehensive methodological review outlining the statistical and machine learning approaches necessary to build resilient remote sensing solutions for tracking Earth's greenhouse gas productions.
Apply to this project →
Regulatory & Ethics Track
RE1
Explainable AI for Climate-Resilient Space Operations: A Framework for Trust and Oversight in High-Stakes Decision-Making
In Progress
Developing guidelines mapping the ethical implications and formal verification pathways necessary for AI governance in high-stakes atmospheric and orbital decisions.
Apply to this project →
RE2
Operationalizing Ethical Governance: A SNO-based Data Harmonization Pipeline for Technically Robust and Equitable Climate AI
In Progress
Explores a Sensor Network Ontology (SNO) to align datasets ethically across borders and sensors, preventing demographic or regional bias in Earth observation AI.
Apply to this project →
RE3
From Monoculture to Resilience: Engineering Diverse AI Architecture for Robust Climate Monitoring and Equitable Adaptation
In Progress
A policy-oriented exploration of algorithmic diversity as a safeguard against catastrophic failure in automated climate response models.
Apply to this project →
Onboard Intelligence & Systems Track
SA1
Optimized Ground Segment Framework for Efficient Processing of Copernicus Sentinel-2 Data Streams
In Progress
An architectural blueprint bridging massive Sentinel-2 optical data ingestion with real-time analytics engines, designed to minimize latency from raw imagery to predictive insight.
Apply to this project →
TF1
Leveraging MethaneSAT Insights for Finer Methane Emission Mapping
In Progress
Applying novel computer vision frameworks over raw MethaneSAT telemetry to locate emission sources globally at an unprecedented resolution scale.
Apply to this project →
TF2
Lightweight Optical and Microwave Preprocessing Framework for Flood Monitoring Using CubeSat and Sentinel Data
In Progress
Engineering an embedded inference pipeline capable of running optical+SAR data fusion models onboard resource-constrained small satellites for instant flood extent mapping.
Apply to this project →
TF3
A Cloud-Agnostic, Multi-Temporal Framework for Robust Environmental Change Detection and Alerting Using Sentinel and CubeSat Data
In Progress
A dual-stage AI architecture bridging CubeSat event detection with heavy Sentinel validation, allowing uninterrupted situational awareness through intermittent cloud coverage.
Apply to this project →

Work on problems that actually matter

We're a distributed team across 15+ countries. Whether your background is ML, aerospace, policy, or you just build things — there's likely a place here.

Choose how you want to engage:

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Join a project

Reviewed by the PG Lead. We'll follow up via Discord or email.

Propose a project

Project proposals are reviewed by the leadership board.

Join the Secretariat
The Secretariat keeps SpacexAI running — Operations, Media, and Outreach. These roles are fully open while research track applications are paused.

Reviewed by the Secretariat Lead. We'll follow up via Discord or email.

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Collaboration inquiries go directly to the PG Lead and Co-Lead.

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