'Space Llama', a modified version of Meta's AI 'Llama' for research on the International Space Station, will be deployed in orbit

Meta has revealed that it has fine-tuned its open source AI model, Llama, for the International Space Station and sent it to space.

Space Llama: Meta's Open Source AI Model is Heading Into Orbit | Meta

According to Meta, the company has tweaked Llama 3.2 and deployed it to the International Space Station so astronauts can use the AI.

The 'Space Llama' deployed on the International Space Station is equipped with both generative and multimodal AI, allowing astronauts to generate content based on prompts, and to process data by recognizing text, images, and voice. For example, a use case is envisioned in which an astronaut reads some kind of instruction manual and extracts the necessary information.

Meta said about Llama's strengths, 'Because it's open source, it's highly flexible and can be downloaded and deployed on machines that aren't connected to the Internet. Because the Internet is not available on the International Space Station, there's no need to transfer data through an AI company or connect to a computer on Earth to process the data.'

The attempt to deploy Llama on the International Space Station follows the successful deployment of a large-scale language model to the International Space Station by Booz Allen in August 2024. Meta is working with Booz Allen to achieve this.

Space Llama brings together Booz Allen's proprietary edge computing tools, Hewlett Packard Enterprise's edge computing 'Spaceborne Computer-2' and NVIDIA accelerated computing, which will bring powerful AI directly to the International Space Station.

Accelerated by NVIDIA.

@BoozAllen and @Meta are bringing Space Llama to new frontiers with NVIDIA GPUs and CUDA. https://t.co/nzK2JCMlnx

— NVIDIA Newsroom (@nvidianewsroom) April 25, 2025

This technology will enable AI tasks that previously took several minutes to be reduced to just one second.

'Astronauts will be able to leverage AI for research and decision-making without having to manage the risk of losing connectivity. Innovation in space has previously been hampered by a reliance on Earth connectivity for computation and communication capabilities. Space Llama brings the latest technology directly to the edge of space. This moment is just the beginning for Space Llama. We envision a future where open source models like Llama play a key role in space exploration and research, working hand-in-hand with astronauts to solve complex scientific problems and advance innovation for all,' said Meta.