AI-developed controller directs satellite in pioneering in

AI-developed controller directs satellite in pioneering in-orbit maneuver

A team at Julius-Maximilians-Universitat Wurzburg (JMU) has achieved a significant milestone on the road to space autonomy by successfully testing an artificial intelligence-based attitude controller in orbit for the first time. This world-first achievement was carried out using the 3U nanosatellite InnoCube, with direct in-orbit control administered by a system developed at JMU. The test occurred during a window between 11:40 and 11:49 a.m. CET on October 30, 2025, when the AI agent autonomously guided the satellite from its initial orientation to a preselected target configuration using reaction wheels. In subsequent real-world tests, the AI consistently accomplished further maneuvers - safely and precisely aligni