OnAIR: Applications of the NASA on‐board artificial intelligence research platform
Evana Gizzi, Connor Firth, Caleb Adams, James W. Berck, P. Timothy Chase Jr, Christian Cassamajor‐Paul, Rachael Chertok, Lily A. Clough, Jonathan Davis, Melissa De La Cruz, Matthew W. Dosberg, Alan Gibson, Jonathan B. Hammer, Ibrahim Haroon, Michael A. Johnson, Brian Kempa, James Marshall, Patrick Maynard, Brett Allen McKinney, Leyton McKinney · AI Magazine · 2025
Abstract Infusing artificial intelligence algorithms into production aerospace systems can be challenging due to costs, timelines, and a risk‐averse industry. We introduce the Onboard Artificial Intelligence Research (OnAIR) platform, an open‐source software pipeline and cognitive architecture tool that enables full life cycle AI research for on‐board intelligent systems. We begin with a description and user walk‐through of the OnAIR tool. Next, we describe four use cases of OnAIR for both research and deployed onboard applications, detailing their use of OnAIR and the benefits it provided to the development and function of each respective scenario. Lastly, we describe two upcoming planned deployments which will leverage OnAIR for crucial mission outcomes. We conclude with remarks on future work and goals for the forward progression of OnAIR as a tool to enable a larger AI and aerospace research community.