AstroForge, a U.S. startup focused on asteroid mining, is working on a groundbreaking project: sending a spacecraft through space without receiving any commands from Earth. The company plans to rely on an onboard artificial intelligence (AI) system called Solo, which will take control of the spacecraft starting in 2027. Currently, most deep space missions depend on ground teams to analyze data and make decisions in real time. For example, NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission to the asteroid Bennu in 2018 required a team of 100 operators who worked in shifts to guide the spacecraft. However, as more spacecraft are launched into space, the traditional model of relying on Earth-based control is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain. Autonomy in space is not new, but it has typically been limited to specific parts of a mission, such as adjusting trajectory or managing power. Solo, developed internally by AstroForge, aims to completely remove human involvement in decision-making. It integrates with the standard flight software and monitors nearly 2,500 sensors to detect issues and determine the next course of action. The AI uses deterministic and physics-based software to make real-time decisions, allowing the spacecraft to operate independently. AstroForge plans to test this system in 2027 with the Autonomy-1 mission, which will be launched using the Nova rocket by Stoke Space. Once deployed, the spacecraft will receive no further instructions and will send its data back to Earth while operating NASA's COMPASS instrument, which studies the Sun. AstroForge, founded in 2022, has raised $56 million with the goal of extracting valuable metals from asteroids near Earth. However, its first mission, which involved the spacecraft Odin, failed in February 2025. The company is determined to avoid repeating this setback. Before the full deployment of Solo in 2027, the AI will be tested this year aboard DeepSpace-2, a 200-kilogram spacecraft. This mission will be part of Intuitive Machines' lunar mission IM-3 and will travel to one of 28 preselected metallic asteroids. The spacecraft will attempt to photograph or even land on the asteroid, but human engineers will still retain control. Solo will analyze data and suggest decisions, but these will not be implemented immediately. The implications of AstroForge's work extend beyond asteroid mining. As humanity explores further into space, the need for intelligent systems that can operate independently becomes more critical. By developing and testing Solo, the company is paving the way for a future where spacecraft can make decisions on their own, reducing reliance on Earth-based control and enabling more ambitious space missions.