AWS in Orbit: Empowering Exploration on the Moon, Mars, and More

Podcast: T-Minus Space Daily
Host: Maria Vermazes
Guests: AJ Gemmer (Co-Founder & CTO, Lunar Outpost), Salem Nimri (Chief Technology Officer, AWS Aerospace and Satellite)
Release Date: April 9, 2025

Introduction

In this episode of AWS in Orbit, hosted by Maria Vermazes from N2K Networks, the discussion centers around the pivotal role AWS plays in supporting lunar exploration missions spearheaded by Lunar Outpost. The conversation delves into building robust systems for ambitious space objectives, the integration of advanced technologies, and the future trajectory of robotic exploration on celestial bodies like the Moon and Mars.

Introducing Lunar Outpost and AWS Aerospace

[00:34] Maria Vermazes kicks off the episode by introducing the guests: AJ Gemmer, Co-Founder and CTO of Lunar Outpost, and Salem Nimri, CTO of AWS Aerospace and Satellite team. The focus is on how AWS enables and supports Lunar Outpost’s missions.

AJ Gemmer outlines Lunar Outpost’s mission:

“At Lunar Outpost, we are the leaders in cislunar robotics and mobility services for the moon and for other planetary bodies.” [01:09]

With over 150 employees across three continents, Lunar Outpost is at the forefront of developing planetary robotics and lunar rovers, recently achieving a major milestone with their rover’s successful flight on the Intuitive Machines mission.

Lunar Outpost’s Recent Missions and Achievements

AJ Gemmer highlights several key accomplishments:

• Lunar Voyage 1 (LV1):
  Launched a rover named MAP, approximately 1 cubic meter and 20 kilograms in size. This mission validated significant in-house technologies, including onboard computers, sensing systems, and the Stargate Command and Control ground software system.

  “We flew a rover only a few weeks ago on the Intuitive Machines mission.” [01:48]

• Ongoing and Future Missions:
  Lunar Outpost has four more missions planned for the Moon, including another MAP rover on IM3 and culminating with the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV), which will provide mobility for two NASA astronauts alongside various payloads and cargo.

  “We now have four more missions going to the moon with another map rover later this year on IM3.” [02:32]

Salem Nimri commends the team for reaching TRL 9 (Test Readiness Level 9), signifying that their products are qualified for space operations.

“Lunar Outpost are their approach to all of this mission in terms of building the rovers... leveraging the latest technology, including the ones that are provided by the Cloud AWS.” [03:25]

Technological Innovations and AWS Integration

A significant portion of the discussion revolves around the Stargate system, Lunar Outpost’s ground software infrastructure:

• Stargate System Reliability:
  AJ boasts an impressive uptime:

  “Stargate had something like 99.99998% uptime.” [04:59]

• AWS Services Utilization:
  The Stargate system leverages various AWS services such as EC2, EKS, and DynamoDB, ensuring robust and reliable backend support, allowing engineers to focus on mission-specific innovations.

  “Having that robust and reliable back end has allowed our engineers to focus on innovation...” [10:40]

Salem emphasizes how this collaboration with AWS fosters rapid innovation and operational efficiency.

Mission Operations and Data Management

Detailed insights into mission operations highlight the capabilities of the Stargate system:

• Real-Time Data Processing:
  The system makes mission data human-readable and operational, facilitating quick decision-making during missions.

• Post-Mission Analysis:
  The infrastructure supports extensive data analysis post-mission, aiding in trend identification and future mission planning.

  “We can pull that data, you know, visualize it in many different ways and draw our conclusions from it.” [12:13]

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Lunar Exploration

The integration of AI and ML is pivotal for enhancing rover functionalities:

• Navigation and Obstacle Avoidance:
  AI assists in real-time processing of environmental data to navigate safely, identifying obstacles and optimizing paths based on multiple variables like lighting and terrain.

  “Navigating on the Moon is all about taking in new information, processing it quickly, and updating your plans in near real time on the edge, on the rover.” [08:24]

• Predictive Maintenance:
  AI is utilized to predict component reliability, ensuring the longevity of systems like the Lunar Terrain Vehicle, designed for a 10-year lifespan on the Moon.

  “There is a lot of predictive analysis and modeling that goes into building a vehicle that can withstand that harsh environment for that long.” [14:26]

Salem envisions future advancements such as agentic AI systems where specialized agents (e.g., geologists, geochemists) collaborate autonomously to enhance exploration efficiency.

“One day we will have an agent that serves as a geologist... deploy those systems to the rover so that they can navigate and do things on their own.” [15:36]

Future Missions and Vision for Lunar and Martian Exploration

Looking ahead, AJ Gemmer discusses Lunar Outpost’s ambitious plans:

• Lunar Vertex Mission:
  Funded by NASA’s PRISM program, targeting the Reiner Gamma site near the Moon's equator to study local magnetic fields.

  “PRISM 1A will go to this site called Reiner Gamma... explore the local magnetic field.” [17:32]

• Expansion to Mars:
  The Lunar Terrain Vehicle (Eagle) is designed to be operable on Mars, facilitating seamless transition and utilization across different celestial environments.

• Swarm and Cooperative Robotics:
  AJ envisions a paradigm shift to swarm robotics, enabling multiple specialized robots to operate cohesively, thereby enhancing exploration capabilities and efficiency.

  “Swarm robotics would give us capabilities to see what's down there.” [20:24]

Salem underscores the strategic importance of such advancements for future missions, highlighting the increased communication delays when moving beyond the Moon to Mars.

“With the Moon, it's like what, two to three seconds delay. When we go to Mars, it’s gonna be 7 minutes to 40 minutes...” [15:48]

Conclusion and Closing Thoughts

In wrapping up, both guests share their enthusiasm and gratitude towards AWS for their indispensable support:

• Salem Nimri:
  Praises Lunar Outpost’s innovative spirit and expresses pride in AWS’s role in supporting space exploration.

  “It's been a pleasure working with the lunar outpost. They have a team of geniuses.” [23:01]

• AJ Gemmer:
  Highlights the collaborative efforts between Lunar Outpost and AWS as a catalyst for transformative advancements in the cislunar economy.

  “Having AWS support on this... the overall outcome is just an absolute, you know, sea change in what we can do out in space.” [23:25]

Maria Vermazes concludes the episode by inviting listener feedback and acknowledging the contributions of the production team.

Key Takeaways

1. Leadership in Cislunar Robotics:
   Lunar Outpost is pioneering mobile robotics solutions tailored for lunar and planetary exploration, achieving significant milestones like TRL 9.

2. Robust AWS Integration:
   AWS services provide the essential infrastructure that underpins mission-critical systems like Stargate, ensuring high reliability and enabling rapid technological innovation.

3. AI and ML Advancements:
   Intelligent systems enhance rover autonomy, navigation, and predictive maintenance, crucial for long-term and complex missions on the Moon and beyond.

4. Vision for the Future:
   Emphasis on swarm robotics and cooperative systems sets the stage for more efficient and scalable exploration strategies, with Mars being the next frontier.

5. Collaborative Ecosystem:
   The synergy between Lunar Outpost and AWS exemplifies the collaborative efforts necessary to drive forward the new era of space exploration and establish a sustainable human presence on other celestial bodies.

Notable Quotes

• AJ Gemmer:
  “Stargate had something like 99.99998% uptime.” [04:59]

• Salem Nimri:
  “Swarm robotics also helps solve a number of the challenges that we're facing today on the moon.” [21:58]

• AJ Gemmer:
  “Humanity, the Moon is not a destination. It's a stop. It's a first stop.” [18:36]

This episode of AWS in Orbit offers a comprehensive overview of how cutting-edge technologies, supported by AWS, are propelling lunar exploration forward. The collaborative dialogue between Lunar Outpost and AWS underscores the innovative spirit driving the next generation of space missions, highlighting both current successes and future aspirations in the realm of extraterrestrial exploration.