NASA Artifact InSPECtor: Help Train AI to Improve Space Telescope Data

How do scientists know that images and data collected by telescopes hundreds of thousands of miles away are accurate? NASA’s new Artifact InSPECtor citizen science project invites people of all ages to help answer that question while contributing to groundbreaking space research.

By examining real telescope data, volunteers can help train artificial intelligence (AI) to identify and remove errors known as artifacts. This work will support major NASA and ESA missions, including the Euclid Space Telescope and NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.

After trying Artifact InSPECtor, 9-year-old Maeve F. said, “It’s really cool to be able to teach a computer new skills.” Participants can use a smartphone, tablet, or computer to learn how their contributions can help scientists study the universe.

How NASA’s Artifact InSPECtor Project Works

The Euclid Space Telescope is a powerful observatory built by the European Space Agency, with significant contributions from NASA. It is designed to collect light from millions of distant galaxies throughout the universe. NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will soon join Euclid in studying the cosmos.

Once Roman begins its scientific operations, it is expected to observe a similar number of galaxies while viewing different distances and regions of the sky. Together, Euclid and Roman will help scientists investigate the expansion of the universe and dark energy—the mysterious force believed to drive that expansion.

How Spectrometers Reveal Information About Galaxies

To gather information about distant galaxies, both telescopes use specialized instruments called spectrometers. A spectrometer works much like a prism by splitting light into a rainbow of colors.

These rainbow patterns, called spectra, help scientists determine how far away galaxies are, identify the types of stars they contain, and study supermassive black holes at their centers.

What Are Artifacts in Telescope Data?

Before scientists can use telescope observations, they must identify and remove artifacts. An artifact is a signal caused by something other than a real celestial object, such as a galaxy or star.

Artifacts can result from light reflecting off the telescope’s housing, cosmic rays striking the detector, problems with cameras or electronics, and other sources. They are similar to dirt on a smartphone camera lens or sunlight creating glare in a photograph.

Help Train Artificial Intelligence for Space Science

Astronomers use AI tools to recognize and remove artifacts, much like a smartphone identifies faces in photos. However, teaching AI to recognize artifacts in data from newer space telescopes can be challenging. Human volunteers can help scientists improve the accuracy of these systems.

As an Artifact InSPECtor volunteer, you will examine real space telescope data from Euclid and, beginning in early 2027, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. You will learn to identify artifacts and help improve the instructions used to train NASA’s AI tools.

By working together, volunteers, AI, scientists, Euclid, and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope can reveal more about dark energy and how the universe works.

Ready to help NASA study the universe? Visit NASA Artifact InSPECtor on your smartphone, tablet, or computer and start contributing to space science today.