German Researchers Achieve First Autonomous AI-Controlled Satellite Reorientation in Space

Orbiting satellite uses AI to reorient itself in 'major step towards full autonomy in space'

Controlling the orientation of satellites in orbit is tricky business, but autonomous AI might make things a whole lot simpler. (Image credit: Yuichiro Chino/Getty Images) For the first time, researchers have controlled the orientation of a satellite in space using an autonomous AI, a major feat that could greatly improve the safety and effectiveness of satellites in space. While satellites in orbit are carried around Earth by the pull of the planet's gravity, the momentum of their initial deployment and controlled propulsion, it is also necessary to adjust which way a satellite is facing. This allows instruments to point in the right direction, helps manage the thermal effects of solar radiation, and makes repositioning the satellite possible when needed. To do this, you must adjust a satellite's attitude, the technical name for an object's orientation relative to its inertial frame of reference. Essentially, we're talking about rotating the satellite "horizontally" while it is moving. Normally, these maneuvers are handled by human operators directing the satellite remotely or by programmed software routines. Both methods take considerable time and expense, and they don't account for every possible circumstance, especially ones that engineers fail to predict ahead of time. Fortunately, researchers at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) in Germany have developed -- and demonstrated -- an AI system that can change the attitude of an orbiting satellite without any human input, showing that autonomous control of satellites in a real-space environment is possible. The project, called the In-Orbit Demonstrator for Learning Attitude Control (LeLaR), uses a type of machine-learning process called deep reinforcement learning to "teach" the satellite's flight control software how and when to adjust its own attitude when required. Rather than spending months or years programming a satellite's behavior directly, with this method, engineers can train the satellite to effectively program itself to do the same thing, a much faster and cheaper process. The researchers developed the AI model in a lab at JMU, using a "high-fidelity" simulator to train the model before uploading it to the flight controller of the InnoCube nanosatellite, currently in low Earth orbit. The initial test, carried out during a satellite pass on Oct. 30, involved setting a target attitude for the satellite and letting the controller adjust itself to match. Using mechanical reaction wheels controlled by the new system, the satellite adjusted itself to the desired orientation on its own, a feat the JMU team repeated on several subsequent passes. "This successful test marks a major step forward in the development of future satellite control systems," Tom Baumann, a JMU research assistant in aerospace information technology and LeLar team member, said in a JMU statement. "It shows that AI can not only perform in simulation but also execute precise, autonomous maneuvers under real conditions." While the JMU team's demonstration might be the first time a satellite controlled its own orientation in orbit, it isn't the first use of AI systems to improve and automate important satellite functions. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory successfully used an automated AI system to perform "dynamic targeting" of a satellite's ground-facing camera to avoid cloud cover, and after successful lab tests, the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory is working to deploy its Autosat system, which will let a satellite calibrate its own signal as well as send and receive data autonomously. Researchers at the University of California, Davis and Proteus Space are also preparing to launch a satellite in the coming months that can autonomously monitor the health of its own systems, freeing up engineers for other tasks None of those systems actually controlled the motion of the actual satellite, however, and this new approach to satellite flight control could pave the way for simpler and more efficient satellite development, reducing costs and speeding up deployments. "It's a major step towards full autonomy in space," said Professor Sergio Montenegro, a LeLaR team member at JMU. "We are at the beginning of a new class of satellite control systems: intelligent, adaptive and self-learning."

German Team Uses Autonomous AI to Steer CubeSat in Space

Breakthrough points toward fully autonomous, low-cost future missions. Scientists have been able to control the orientation of a satellite in orbit autonomously, the first time, with an autonomous AI controller. This demonstration, conducted on a 3U CubeSat named InnoCube demonstrates AI with the ability to autonomously point the satellite (its pointing direction) without human operator intervention. The test, which was conducted by a group of scientists at the JMU Würzburg of Germany, is regarded as a step towards autonomous spacecraft in totality. According to researchers, this method may make it easier to create satellite and reduce the cost of missions. AI-driven Satellite Reorientation According to media reports, late in 2025, JMU researchers experimented with an AI controller on a 3U CubeSat. In one of the Oct. 30 passes, the AI agent oriented the CubeSat in its initial orientation to a desired attitude it with its reaction wheels. This was repeated multiple times, and the CubeSat was oriented. The AI controller was trained in a simulator by deep reinforcement learning and uploaded onboard an aircraft to fly. The researchers of JMU reported that the test demonstrated that a neural-network AI could operate a satellite, and the finding was a significant advancement in space missions. Broader Trends in Autonomous Spacecraft Other teams are exploring similar AI-driven systems. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has demonstrated a "Dynamic Targeting" algorithm that lets a satellite autonomously avoid clouds and select clear targets. The U.S. Naval Research Lab is developing a fully autonomous satellite, "Autosat," that can task its sensors and handle communications without ground control. Engineers at UC Davis are launching a CubeSat with an onboard AI "digital twin" to continuously monitor and predict the satellite's battery health.