AEXA

Aexa Aerospace is an American aerospace and mixed reality technology company headquartered in Houston, Texas. The company develops holographic and augmented reality systems for spaceflight operations, astronaut training, telemedicine, and remote technical support. Aexa has collaborated with the NASA, commercial spaceflight providers, medical institutions, and government agencies to deploy immersive visualization and communication tools.

History

Aexa Aerospace was founded in 2012 in Houston, Texas, near NASA’s Johnson Space Center. The company began by developing augmented reality visualization systems for training astronauts and payload specialists. Its early work focused on overlaying virtual models, schematics, and procedures onto physical hardware to assist with mission preparation and remote operations.

As mixed reality technologies matured in human spaceflight, Aexa expanded its capabilities to include three-dimensional telepresence, remote engineering advisory tools, and low-bandwidth collaboration systems for extreme environments.

Holographic telepresence on the International Space Station

On 8 October 2021 Aexa Aerospace software was used by NASA to beam three-dimensional reconstructions of flight surgeon Josef Schmid and other personnel from Earth to the International Space Station using a HoloLens 2 mixed reality headset worn by astronaut Thomas Pesquet. The system allowed remote personnel to appear as life-sized holograms and interact with astronauts in real time. News media and NASA publications described the event as the first use of “holoportation” in space.

The experiment demonstrated applications for telemedicine, remote engineering support, behavioral health monitoring, and future deep space missions in which subject matter experts may need to appear virtually without real-time video limitations.

Technologies

Aexa Aerospace develops mixed reality and holographic communication software designed to operate in limited connectivity environments such as spaceflight, remote medicine, and defense applications. Its systems include:

  • HoloConnect, a real-time holographic telepresence platform capable of transmitting three-dimensional reconstructions of individuals for remote communication and technical support under constrained bandwidth
  • AI-assisted telepresence tools, which provide autonomous guidance and interactive support for remote users, including clinical personnel and operators in isolated locations
  • Augmented reality engineering software for mission support, maintenance, and remote instruction
  • Telemedicine support systems for astronauts and medical personnel in extreme environments
  • Low-bandwidth visualization frameworks intended for disconnected and contested environments

Aexa’s systems have been used for astronaut training, medical consultation, and engineering support, including applications tested on the International Space Station.

Awards

Work conducted by NASA in collaboration with Aexa Aerospace has been recognized with internal NASA awards, including the Johnson Space Center Director’s Innovation Group Achievement Award in 2022 for the Holoportation Technology Demonstration Team.

See also

  • Holoportation
  • International Space Station
  • Space medicine
  • Extended reality