Google is teaming up with NASA to develop an AI-powered virtual doctor designed to assist astronauts with medical and health needs during space missions.
The system, called the Crew Medical Officer Digital Assistant (CMO-DA), will serve as an on-board healthcare companion, capable of diagnosing issues, monitoring health, and offering treatment guidance—especially on long-duration missions where real-time communication with Earth isn’t possible.
Instead of relying solely on having a human doctor on board—a costly and logistically challenging option—NASA hopes this AI solution will provide timely, reliable care. CMO-DA will support multiple interaction modes, including text, images, and voice, enabling astronauts to communicate their symptoms in various ways.
Powered by Google’s Vertex AI cloud platform, the virtual doctor will operate efficiently even in challenging space conditions. As part of the collaboration, NASA will retain ownership of the app’s source code, while Google will use the mission data to refine and enhance the system’s capabilities.
