Booz Allen Hamilton and Meta have launched an AI-powered technology stack named 'Space Llama' to enhance operations aboard the International Space Station (ISS) National Lab.

This innovative system is built on a fine-tuned version of Meta's Llama 3.2 language model, which was introduced in August 2024.

Space Llama operates autonomously, requiring no instructions from Earth, which is crucial for functioning in environments with limited network bandwidth.

Bill Vass, Booz Allen's CTO, highlighted that Space Llama will facilitate critical repairs and maintenance, transforming operations in the constrained environment of space.

The deployment of Space Llama is significant for conducting scientific research in low Earth orbit, where traditional internet connectivity is often unavailable.

Astronauts will be able to utilize Space Llama to extract data from technical documents and process multimodal files, leveraging its computer vision capabilities.

The project is particularly timely, as it emerges amidst NASA's budget cuts, which have led to layoffs and departmental closures, impacting various research capabilities.

This advancement is seen as a major step towards future lunar and Mars explorations, aligning with U.S. goals to enhance autonomous systems in space.

The compact and energy-efficient design of Space Llama allows for local deployment on the ISS, improving predictive maintenance and repair capabilities.

The system will employ generative and multimodal AI to assist researchers with information retrieval, all without needing internet access.

The technology developed through this collaboration could have broader implications across various industries, including oil and gas and autonomous systems, by enhancing operations in remote environments.

This initiative comes at a time when Meta's stock has seen fluctuations, with a recent decline of 20% over the past three months, despite a strong long-term performance.