Cisco and Amazon have partnered with NASA to test how collaboration technology could be used for in-space communication.
The pair will see their technology launched on NASA’s Orion spacecraft which will circle the Moon and return to Earth as part of the Artemis I unmanned mission.
The collaboration technology, dubbed Callisto, will be used during the mission to see how future astronauts could communicate back to earth from deep space.
Jeetu Patel, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Security and Collaboration at Cisco, said: “The future of technology is about igniting human potential whenever and wherever that may be – which will soon extend to the depths of space.
“Through Callisto, Webex is enabling boundless video communications and collaboration in deep space while helping to provide the next generation with inclusive and immersive technology”
“This first-of-its-kind solution could one day support future crewed missions, providing face-to-face interaction between crew, command centre and loved ones.”
Callisto uses Amazon Alexa and Webex by Cisco to test technology for deep space voice, video and whiteboarding communications.
Cisco and Amazon have worked in collaboration with Lockheed Martin, which designed and built the Orion spacecraft.
The custom technology sees Amazon Alexa work without an internet connection and Webex run on a tablet using NASA’s Deep Space Network.
Aaron Rubenson, Vice President of Amazon Alexa, said: “The Star Trek computer was part of our original inspiration for Alexa, so it’s exciting and humbling to see our vision for ambient intelligence come to life onboard Orion.
“We’re proud to be working with Lockheed Martin to push the limits of voice technology and AI, and we hope Alexa’s role in the mission helps inspire future scientists, astronauts and engineers who will define this next era of space exploration.”
The test will see a virtual crew at NASA’s Houston space centre interact with Callisto remotely to test and demonstrate how the technology could be used for future missions.
Orion is scheduled to launch early this year.
