Meet Wukong, the AI Chatbot China Has Installed on Its Space Station (www.wired.com)

China has deployed Wukong AI, an advanced chatbot, aboard its Tiangong space station, marking the country’s first in-orbit use of a large language model (LLM). Named after the legendary Monkey King, Wukong AI supports astronauts with navigation, tactical planning, and real-time problem-solving during missions, enhancing operational efficiency and crew-ground coordination. It successfully assisted taikonauts during a six-and-a-half-hour spacewalk by providing rapid information support for installing debris protection and conducting routine inspections. Developed from a domestic open-source AI model, Wukong AI features a dual-module architecture: an onboard system addressing immediate challenges and a ground-based module performing in-depth data analysis. This design allows the AI to adapt dynamically to complex spaceflight scenarios, bridging the gap between Earth and space operations. While AI assistants like NASA’s CIMON and Astrobee have previously supported astronauts, Wukong’s focus on aerospace flight data and tactical planning represents a strategic leap in China’s integration of AI into manned space missions. Wukong AI plays a critical role in China’s broader ambitions to establish Tiangong as a hub for microgravity research and a stepping stone for lunar exploration across the next three decades. By leveraging cutting-edge AI tailored to spaceflight, China not only reinforces its space station capabilities but also signals its growing commitment to fusing AI with astronautical expertise in the evolving frontier of human space exploration.