Initiation of Collaborative Activities on "Spacecraft Conversational Cognitive Interface Business"

EDENA Inc. (Idina Inc., Representative Director: Yoshihisa Ideguchi, hereinafter "Idina")*1 and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) (President: Hiroshi Yamakawa, hereinafter "JAXA") have commenced collaborative activities on the "Spacecraft Conversational Cognitive Interface Business" from June 2026, under the framework of the "JAXA Space Innovation Partnership (hereinafter "J-SPARC")"*2, aiming to create new space-related businesses with novel ideas.

In this collaboration, we will explore the possibility of accessing operational data and past knowledge through conversational interaction with spacecraft, under appropriate authority management, utilizing the conversational cognitive interface program "Mission Buddy" for probe operations. For example, we aim to create new space communication experiences, such as initiatives to reduce the cognitive load on operators by allowing them to talk to the spacecraft as if they were conversing with each other and accessing past data, or initiatives where children visiting an exhibition hall ask a spacecraft, "Where are you flying now?" and the spacecraft responds with its own voice about its current journey and mission objectives.

Figure 1 Image of the Spacecraft Conversational Cognitive Interface Business ©EDENA/JAXA

[Background of Collaborative Activities]

In spacecraft operations, communication between operators is primarily conducted through conversation. On the other hand, understanding the status of spacecraft and searching/confirming past data generally relies on visual information such as numbers, documents, and graphs on screens. For long-term operations of probes and the International Space Station, the experience of personnel who are well-versed in past data and knowledge becomes important in addition to these. However, such experience is "tacit knowledge" that is difficult to convey sufficiently through visual information alone. Therefore, the inheritance of tacit knowledge accompanying operator turnover has become a major challenge.

Furthermore, public relations for science and technology, including space development, are required to be easily understandable to a wide range of people regardless of age or gender, maintain scientific accuracy, and be disseminated in multiple languages both domestically and internationally. However, currently, one-way communication centered on text and video is the mainstream.

JAXA's Institute of Space and Astronautical Science's probes have unique charms for each mission, and information dissemination is actively carried out. In addition to this, if the probes themselves could interact with their supporters, space missions would feel more familiar. This has the potential to lead to new experiences that foster a continuous relationship between people and space.

[Content of Collaborative Activities]

In this collaboration, we will conduct conceptual design, prototyping, and verification of the conversational cognitive interface "Mission Buddy," which allows spacecraft such as probes and artificial satellites to speak with their own "voices" and respond to user inquiries, by utilizing the latest speech synthesis technology and generative AI technology, as well as Idina's conversational platform*3 and personality design platform*4.

"Mission Buddy" is positioned not merely as a mechanism for anthropomorphizing spacecraft, but as a cognitive interface that connects researchers, operators, educational institutions, and general users through dialogue, based on mission information, observation data, operational knowledge, and research results. Through this, a wide range of value creation is expected, including mission understanding, learning support, scientific communication, knowledge inheritance and utilization, and multilingual information dissemination.

This initiative will be carried out as the business concept co-creation phase in J-SPARC from FY2026 to FY2027. We will build a prototype and conduct demonstrations in actual operational sites and the "Space Science Exploration Exchange Building" exhibition hall at the Sagamihara Campus to verify the value of the conversational cognitive interface. The target will be spacecraft such as probes and artificial satellites currently in operation or to be operated in the future, and we will consider the possibility of conversational experiences that reflect the characteristics and narrative style of each mission.

[Future We Aim For]

This collaboration aims for a future where space missions transform from "subjects to be conveyed as information" to "beings that speak to people, answer questions, and foster relationships." As a first step towards realizing the relationship depicted in science fiction movies where humans and spacecraft tackle difficult missions through dialogue, we will create a new experience that allows everyone to feel the mission as their own.

Furthermore, conversational cognitive interfaces are expected to be applied in a wide range of fields as a platform for conveying complex scientific and technical information in an easy-to-understand, accurate, and multilingual manner, not limited to space development. In the future, we aim to create new communication models that connect science and technology with society, such as permanent use in exhibition halls and science museums, distribution content, learning support, and technology inheritance support.

*1 Edena Inc.

EDENA Inc. combines diverse content domains such as characters, story works, and space missions with cutting-edge technologies like voice AI and XR, and art, to convey the unique value and worldview of experts, artists, projects, missions, and scientific inquiries as experiences that are easy to understand and reach the heart, while also engaging in planning, development, and social implementation to maximize their potential.

https://www.edena.co.jp/

*2 JAXA Space Innovation Partnership (J-SPARC)

J-SPARC is a program that starts with dialogue between private businesses aiming for space business and JAXA, and through mutual commitment towards commercialization, jointly examines business concepts, conducts output-oriented technology development and demonstrations, and creates new businesses. It was launched in May 2018 and has so far advanced approximately 50 projects and activities.

JAXA Space Innovation Partnership (J-SPARC) (JAXA New Business Promotion Department)

*3 Conversational Platform

A technology and operational mechanism for responding with voice or text to user inquiries, taking into account relevant information and context. At Idina, we design it as a conversational experience that allows people to naturally ask questions and deepen their understanding, rather than unilaterally conveying specialized information.

*4 Personality Design Platform

A design method and operational platform for organizing the characteristics, roles, speaking style, and scope of information to be conveyed for individuals, characters, spacecraft, missions, etc., so that they can respond with consistent "personality." It is a platform for conveying information in a friendly manner while maintaining accuracy and safety, rather than simple anthropomorphism.

[Comment from Yoshihisa Ideguchi, Representative Director of EDENA Inc.]

Space missions each have their own unique spirit of inquiry, and I feel that JAXA's spacecraft, such as probes and artificial satellites, embody the knowledge and aspirations of teams who have spent long hours in dialogue and effort. Idina (EDENA) aims to foster an interface for relationships where this spirit can be naturally received by people, allowing them to ask questions and deepen their understanding, through the development of personalized AI ("personality"), conversational design, and voices that reach the heart.

[Comment from Go Murakami, Associate Professor, Department of Solar System Science, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, JAXA]

Behind the execution of space missions, there is always strong teamwork, and meticulous communication takes place there. The fact that a spacecraft has a "voice" not only allows the spacecraft itself to become a member of that team and strengthen teamwork, but it is also expected to attract a wide range of people to the mission through its "voice" and personality, and to expand the mission by welcoming them as new crew members.

[Contact Information for Inquiries]

EDENA Inc. Inquiry Desk 070-5147-0123 [email protected]

Issued by: EDENA Inc. (Idina Inc.)