On-demand video to the OPC & Think WIoT Livestream: Orbit as a Lab, AI & OPC UA

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• Format: Video on demand

• Source: Think WIoT Livestream (Issue 02/2025) – Orbit as a Laboratory

• Title: Orbit as a laboratory: Suborbital missions, AI & OPC UA

• Scope: 4 presentations

• Organizer: OPC Foundation & Think WIoT

• Date: December 15, 2025

• Language: English

What does weightlessness have to do with industrial digitalization? More than you might think at first glance. The livestream "Orbit as a Laboratory: Suborbital Missions, AI & OPC UA," hosted by the OPC Foundation and Think WIoT, focused on how space experiments can be controlled not only more safely and efficiently, but also made significantly more accessible to researchers and mission teams.

The focus was on suborbital missions in the TEXUS program, modern control concepts, secure data and command exchange between ground station and experiment – and a particularly exciting outlook: AI-supported interaction with payloads via OPC UA, including operation via natural language.

Key takeaways from the video

1) TEXUS is modernizing experiment control – from the technology to the interface with space

Andreas Schütte (Airbus Defence and Space) showed how TEXUS, as a globally established long-term program for microgravity, is continuously renewing its infrastructure: Outdated technologies are consistently replaced to maintain high reliability and performance. Particularly relevant: the crucial connection between ground control and space-based experiments – where robust systems, clear data models, and secure communication determine success or risk.

2) Microgravity makes reaction processes visible that remain hidden on Earth

Dr. Karin Schwarzenberger (HZDR) and Prof. Dr. Dezső Horváth (University of Szeged) explained why research in microgravity is so valuable using chemical reaction fronts as an example: When buoyancy and sedimentation are eliminated, effects can be observed that are often masked on Earth. This not only provides basic knowledge for new reactor ideas in space, but also impetus for sustainable technologies on Earth, for example in areas such as CO₂ storage, soil regeneration, or particle production for high-performance materials.

3) From commands to conversations: AI + OPC UA as a "new operating concept" for mission control

Enrico Noack (Airbus Defence and Space) and Holger Kenn (OPC Foundation) showed how complex payloads can not only be controlled, but also made explainable and flexible to operate: Combining OPC UA with LLMs (Large Language Models) creates an approach that makes interaction more understandable – without compromising security, traceability, and controllability requirements. Particularly important: the solution was consistently designed along real scientific workflows – i.e., based on how researchers actually work, ask questions, and make decisions.

4) The OPC UA Payload Portal: secure remote control via natural language

Finally, things got very concrete: Jan Lenk and Mark Eilers (HuMaTects) showed how a web-based OPC UA payload portal with AI agents is being created. The goal is an operating concept that allows researchers to control their experiment module intuitively and securely – including AI-supported assistance functions. The core benefits: fewer hurdles, greater clarity, and interaction that remains scalable even as complexity increases.

Conclusion: Space meets industry standards – and AI makes complexity manageable

The livestream impressively shows how space experiments are evolving: away from isolated island solutions toward standardized, secure interfaces that connect mission operations, research, and IT/OT worlds. OPC UA provides the robust foundation for this—and AI opens up a new level of comprehensibility and usability, especially where many systems, roles, and security requirements come together.