Callisto
Callisto
NASA’s Orion spacecraft will fly around the Moon for the uncrewed Artemis I mission which launched aboard the powerful Space Launch System rocket. As part of a technology demonstration, Lockheed Martin has installed a unique, vehicle-connected crew interface technology demonstration, which includes Amazon's Alexa voice-activated virtual assistant and Webex by Cisco, a video communication and collaboration software tool.
Callisto® will demonstrate how voice technology, AI and portable tablet-based video conferencing can help improve efficiency and situational awareness for those on board the spacecraft, providing access to real-time mission information and a virtual connection to people and information back on Earth. Its goal is to explore how these commercial technologies may support astronauts on future deep space missions to the moon and beyond.
Callisto® is a collaboration between Lockheed Martin, Amazon and Cisco. The custom, space-grade hardware features innovative technology that allows Alexa to function without an internet connection and Webex to provide a video-conferencing function that is quite literally out of this world.
The Callisto® technology demonstration payload has been integrated into the Orion spacecraft for NASA’s Artemis I uncrewed mission to the Moon and will test and demonstrate potential uses of technology for deep space voice and video communications.
The achievement of developing Callisto® is the product of a partnership, which spanned across Lockheed Martin Space, and took truly unique individuals to bring the demonstration to life.
As the human species ventures deeper into space and becomes more self-reliant on the systems it has direct access to, Callisto may one day bridge the gap for creating a more connected astronaut experience by allowing them to communicate not only with mission control, but also onboard systems and even with loved ones back on Earth.
Read more about the payload, its commercial technologies customized for space and the incredible story of Callisto's creation.
Alexa integration combines space-grade hardware developed by Lockheed Martin with acoustic and audio processing software from Amazon, helping explore how voice technology and AI can support future crewed missions to space.
Custom-designed Alexa hardware and software will be able to access real-time telemetry data and respond to thousands of mission-specific questions on board Orion -- things like “Alexa, how fast is Orion traveling?” or “Alexa, what’s the temperature in the cabin?” – and even control connected devices onboard the spacecraft.
Alexa can also bring you closer to the mission than ever before. For updates and to follow along with the mission, just say, "Alexa, take me to the Moon."
Someday being “face-to-face” with Mom on the Moon will be as simple as having a video call on Earth. Webex has developed a state-of-the-art, custom-built version of its technology to test deep space video communication and collaboration. This first-of-its-kind solution is designed to interface with NASA’s Deep Space Network, bring modern and immersive collaboration capabilities to cosmic conversations, and even more, provide a realistic video experience while navigating the extremes of distance, atmosphere, and space noise.
By enabling video collaboration in deep space, astronauts on long missions to the Moon and beyond, could have on-demand video conversations with loved ones, as well as problem solve with modern collaboration tools—whiteboarding—with crew and command center 240,000 miles away.
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Science Communicator and Astrophysicist
Former U.S. Congressman
Million Girls Moonshot & Girls, Inc.
Video Game Writer and Content Creator
During the Artemis I mission, we invited you to send a personal message to Callisto®. We received an overwhelming number of submissions and were able to display approximately 700 messages. While we couldn't show every submitted message, we want to give our sincerist gratitude to everyone who sent a message to Callisto® to help us test the capabilities of this technology demonstration.
Comments were reviewed and those that were approved were sent to Callisto® over the Deep Space Network. During operational payload activations, comments were scrolled and recorded as frequently as possible. Replay videos of selected messages from inside the Orion spacecraft are being made available where you'll have a chance to spot your message as it flies to, around and back from the Moon.
Representative imagery of a comment on Callisto's display
Callisto Messages #3
Callisto Messages #4