David Rutishauser

About

David Rutishauser is a leading aerospace engineer at NASA whose work is central to the future of autonomous planetary landings. His primary research areas include precision landing, hazard avoidance, and the integration of high-performance computing for spaceflight guidance, navigation, and control. Rutishauser made major contributions through his leadership on the Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) system, where he demonstrated a free-flight terrestrial rocket lander—a critical step toward enabling safe, autonomous touchdowns on other worlds. He has also been instrumental in the Safe and Precise Landing Integrated Capabilities Evolution (SPLICE) project, advancing hardware-in-the-loop testing and co-design approaches for next-generation landing systems. His most cited work (31 citations) on the ALHAT free-flight demonstration showcases his impact on real-world flight testing. Notably, Rutishauser has also led helicopter field tests integrating ALHAT with the Morpheus vertical test bed, bridging the gap between simulation and operational reality. His achievements are helping shape NASA’s vision for crewed and robotic exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Free-Flight Terrestrial Rocket Lander Demonstration for NASA's Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) System

   31 citations · 2012
2. 2
   Hardware-in-the-Loop Testing for Suborbital Flights of the Safe and Precise Landing Integrated Capabilities Evolution (SPLICE) Project Technologies

   10 citations · 2020
3. 3
   High Performance Computing for Precision Landing and Hazard Avoidance and Co-Design Approach

   5 citations · 2019
4. 4
   Helicopter Field Testing of NASA’s Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) System Fully Integrated with the Morpheus Vertical Test Bed Avionics

   4 citations · 2013

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links