NASA and Google are collaborating on an AI-powered medical assistant designed for long-distance space travel, particularly missions to Mars.

The Crew Medical Officer Digital Assistant (CMO-DA) tool uses Google Cloud's Vertex AI platform and a mix of open-source large language models to provide autonomous medical advice and diagnostics.

The capability is crucial due to the significant communication delays between Mars and Earth, which can reach up to 223 minutes one way, making real-time medical consultation impossible.

The CMO-DA aims to support astronauts by diagnosing conditions and offering treatment recommendations independently, without Earth-based input. Future versions will incorporate ultrasound imaging and biometric data to enhance diagnostic accuracy.

Tested against common medical issues by a panel that included a doctor-astronaut, the AI demonstrated accuracy rates ranging from 74% to 88% for various ailments.

However, NASA acknowledges challenges such as building trust in AI decisions and limited data on health effects from spaceflight and partial gravity environments.

The project forms part of NASA's Artemis programme, focusing on Moon exploration and preparing for human missions to Mars, emphasising the importance of autonomous healthcare tools for deep space missions.