From a young age, Ryan McClelland has been captivated by futurism and technology, aspiring to contribute to a brighter future. As a Research Engineer in NASA GSFC’s Instrument Systems and Technology Division, he pursues the development and infusion of digital engineering technologies for space-flight missions. Ryan is particularly excited about the potential of Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, Generative Design, and Digital Manufacturing to accelerate space systems development. Ryan has played a significant role in various flight missions, including designs currently on-orbit aboard the Hubble Space Telescope and International Space Station.
Space mission development traditionally spans decades from concept to launch. The Text-to-Spaceship framework integrates AI into mission design workflows, dramatically accelerating development through human-AI collaboration. This methodology represents a paradigm shift in aerospace engineering, leveraging AI to amplify human capabilities and significantly compress development timelines.
AI is transforming how we design and build space missions. At NASA, we’ve already shown that AI can take requirements and rapidly generate optimized structures that are lighter, stronger, and delivered in days instead of months. The Text-to-Spaceship vision scales this up through a secure, cloud-deployed ecosystem of AI-accessible design, analysis, and manufacturing tools. Language-defined requirements flow through these automated systems, accelerating mission development by an order of magnitude. In this talk, I’ll share how we’ve gone from balloon brackets to full payload designs and why text to spaceship is becoming a near-term reality that will redefine how we explore the universe.