2026 Winter Robotics Colloquium: Aaron Borger (Orbital Robotics)

Why It Matters

Deterministic AI‑driven robotic arms could make on‑orbit servicing and debris removal commercially viable, unlocking a new market and enhancing the safety and sustainability of space operations.

Key Takeaways

• AI-driven robotic arms enable autonomous spacecraft capture and servicing.
• Deep reinforcement learning trained in simulation seeks deterministic performance.
• Dynamic coupling between arm motion and spacecraft attitude is explicitly modeled.
• Multi-agent policies coordinate inspection while minimizing delta‑V fuel usage.
• Verification guarantees safe convergence despite uncertainties and limited onboard data.

Summary

Aaron Borger, co‑founder and CEO of Orbital Robotics, presented the company’s vision for AI‑controlled robotic arms that can capture, refuel, repair, or de‑orbit spacecraft in orbit. The firm aims to provide space‑grade hardware and integrated software to any satellite operator, turning robotic servicing from a research concept into a commercial capability.

The core technology relies on deep reinforcement learning trained in high‑fidelity simulation, but Borger emphasized the need for deterministic, 100 % reliable behavior in the safety‑critical space environment. To achieve this, the team augments neural networks with physics‑based models, accounts for dynamic coupling between arm motion and spacecraft attitude, and uses Monte Carlo verification to prove convergence within defined state‑space bounds. Multi‑agent policies further enable coordinated inspection of large structures while minimizing delta‑V fuel consumption.

Examples included a sub‑orbital rocket that threw and caught a ball using a 3‑D‑printed arm, a simulated fleet of spacecraft that simultaneously points solar arrays, cameras, and avoids collisions, and a safety‑ellipse concept that guarantees safe trajectories even if a node loses communication. Borger highlighted that the same neural network governs all agents, allowing decentralized operation and graceful degradation.

If successful, Orbital Robotics could dramatically lower the cost and risk of on‑orbit servicing, support debris removal, and accelerate the construction of lunar and orbital habitats. The technology promises a shift from human‑intensive EVA to autonomous robotic infrastructure, opening new revenue streams for satellite operators and shaping the future of sustainable space logistics.

Original Description

Title: Orbital Robotics: AI, Robotics, and Autonomy for Orbital Logistics

Speaker: Aaron Borger (Orbital Robotics)

Date: Friday, February 13, 2026

Abstract: For years the space industry has followed a throwaway culture. Recently, companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin pioneered reusable rockets enabling access to space at a much lower cost. However, we continue to follow the single use paradigm on-orbit. Currently satellites that run out of fuel or experience failures remain abandoned in orbit as space debris. On Earth we have infrastructure such as gas stations and tow trucks, Orbital Robotics aims to build similar infrastructure on-orbit using spacecraft equipped with robotic arms controlled by AI that can capture, repair, refuel, and upgrade spacecraft on orbit. While traditional control algorithms fail under the complexity of manipulation and dynamic coupling between the robotic arms and the base of the spacecraft, AI and deep reinforcement learning provides a solution. Additionally, a unique perception system must be used to detect, track, and understand the objects in orbit with minimal prior knowledge of the objects. In this talk, I will discuss the need for these capabilities, the challenges of capturing spacecraft with robotic arms, and provide insight into the robots and AI solutions Orbital Robotics is building.

Bio: Aaron Borger, Co-founder and CEO of Orbital Robotics, has been working to perform complex operations with spacecraft equipped with robotic arms since he was an undergraduate student. He finished off his senior year by launching a payload containing two robotic arms designed to throw and catch a ball on-board a NASA rocket. The team Aaron led, including Riley Mark, now co-founder and lead hardware engineer at Orbital Robotics, continued to launch four additional robotic arms to space. Following his undergraduate work, Aaron was a lead software engineer at Blue Origin where he developed AI/ML algorithms to predict the health of rocket engine components and led the development of the flight software for the BE-7 lunar lander engine which is designed to land humans on the moon. Following Blue Origin, Aaron pursued a Ph.D. in aerospace dynamics and controls focused on servicing satellites with AI controlled robotic arms.