DEMO: Lost in Space? Not Your PLC: High-Availability Industrial Control over Satellite Computing Networks

Abstract

Satellite Computing Networks (SCNs) can extend industrial automation to remote and underserved areas by hosting virtual Programmable Logic Controllers (vPLCs) beyond terrestrial infrastructure. However, industrial control depends on continuous, predictable communication, and recurring satellite handovers and migration delays violate watchdog bounds and disrupt deterministic control. In this demo we present how ORBIT, a cross layer orchestration framework for high-availability industrial control over SCNs, preserves service continuity despite mobility induced disruptions. We demonstrate ORBIT on a robot arm testbed with emulated Low Earth Orbit (LEO) dynamics and show how programmable networking and high-availability mechanisms make industrial control feasible over non-terrestrial computing infrastructures.