Wikipedia:Bots/Requests for approval/SpaceBot

SpaceBot

Operator: VaZtRap (talk · contribs · SUL · edit count · logs · page moves · block log · rights log · ANI search)

Time filed: 19:55, Wednesday, October 28, 2026 (UTC)

Function overview:

SpaceBot will assist with the maintenance of astronomy-related Wikipedia articles by checking selected astronomical object designations and catalog identifiers against reliable sources. It will identify potentially missing, outdated, or inconsistent information and propose corrections only when the intended object and correct value can be established unambiguously.

Automatic, Supervised, or Manual: Supervised

Programming language(s): Python

Source code available: The source code will be published in a public repository before live operation. Credentials and other secrets will not be included.

Links to relevant discussions (where appropriate): To be added if community discussion is required for the proposed task.

Edit period(s): An initial, limited supervised trial, followed by scheduled runs no more than once per day if approved.

Estimated number of pages affected: Approximately 50–100 astronomy-related articles during the initial trial. The number of pages edited thereafter will depend on the trial results and the approved scope.

Namespace(s): Mainspace (articles) only.

Exclusion compliant (Yes/No): Yes

Adminbot (Yes/No): No

Function details:

SpaceBot will assist with routine maintenance of verifiable astronomical information. Its initial task will be restricted to the following activities:

Article identification: Identify relevant articles about stars, planets, moons, galaxies, nebulae, asteroids, comets, exoplanets, and other astronomical objects using predefined categories and lists. Identifier verification: Check existing astronomical designations and catalog identifiers against reliable published sources and established astronomical catalogs. Proposed corrections: Identify missing, outdated, or inconsistent identifiers and propose corrections when the correct value can be established unambiguously. Source verification: Ensure that each proposed factual change is supported by an appropriate source. An external database will not automatically take precedence over Wikipedia's sourcing requirements. Human review: During the initial trial, the operator will review every proposed edit before publication. Ambiguous cases, conflicting sources, and uncertain object identifications will be skipped and flagged for manual investigation. Logging and reporting: Record the pages checked, proposed changes, sources consulted, and errors or ambiguities encountered. Safeguards and limitations:

The bot will comply with the bot exclusion mechanism and respect applicable page-level bot opt-outs. It will not create articles, introduce speculative claims, alter scientific interpretations, or add unsupported facts. It will not modify measurements, orbital parameters, classifications, or other scientific values unless explicitly covered by the approved task and supported by reliable sources. It will skip cases involving conflicting sources, ambiguous object identifications, or decisions requiring editorial judgment. It will not edit outside the approved astronomy-related scope or namespace. It will use conservative edit rates, meaningful edit summaries, and an identifiable bot account. During the initial trial, no proposed edit will be published without operator review. If systematic errors or unexpected changes occur, the bot will be stopped while the cause is investigated and corrective measures are implemented. Example edit:

If an astronomy article is missing a catalog identifier, the bot may propose adding it when a reliable source confirms the identifier and its association with the object described in the article. The proposed change will include an appropriate citation where necessary. The bot will not infer an identifier from a similar object name or introduce an unsupported change.

Trial and evaluation:

The initial trial will use a small, predefined set of astronomy-related articles. The operator will evaluate proposed edits for factual accuracy, source quality, formatting, and unintended changes. Errors and ambiguous cases will be documented, and the task will be adjusted as necessary.

The trial results will be reviewed before any expansion of the task. The bot will not transition to unattended operation unless that operation is explicitly approved through the applicable Wikipedia bot approval process.