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German Team Uses Autonomous AI to Steer CubeSat in Space

German Team Uses Autonomous AI to Steer CubeSat in Space

Scientists used an AI controller on the InnoCube CubeSat to autonomously orient a satellite in orbit for the first time.

Written by Gadgets 360 Staff | Updated: 18 November 2025 22:30 IST

German Team Uses Autonomous AI to Steer CubeSat in Space

Photo Credit: Space.com

Autonomous AI could simplify the complex task of satellite orientation.

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Highlights

InnoCube AI achieves first autonomous satellite orientation in orbit.
Deep-learning controller reorients CubeSat repeatedly without operators.
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.

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