Rudranarayan Mukherjee
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
Papers
14
Total Citations
283
H-Index
7
About
Rudranarayan Mukherjee is a robotics and space systems researcher whose work sits at the intersection of autonomous robotics, in-space assembly, and advanced system modeling. Based at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, he has made significant contributions to the emerging field of In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM), most notably through his pioneering work on the Robotically Assembled Modular Space Telescope (RAMST). This landmark 2016 paper, which has garnered 125 citations, introduced a transformative architecture enabling the construction of extremely large space telescopes through autonomous robotic assembly — a concept that fundamentally expands what is achievable beyond single-launch deployable designs. Mukherjee has further advanced autonomous construction of large space structures, debris mitigation via CubeSat platforms, and Mars sample return robotics. His parallel contributions to legged robot terrain classification (71 citations) and vehicle-terrain interaction modeling for planetary rovers demonstrate a versatile command of robotic mobility systems. He also developed the M3tk toolkit, providing the robotics community with practical multi-body dynamics software. Across his career, Mukherjee has consistently bridged theoretical modeling and mission-relevant applications, helping shape the future of autonomous space robotics.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Architecture for in-space robotic assembly of a modular space telescope125 citations · 2016
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- 4M3tk: A Robot Mobility and Manipulation Modeling Toolkit10 citations · 2014
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- 6Vehicle-terrain interaction modeling and validation for Planetary Rovers8 citations · 2009
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- 8Concepts for mars on-orbit robotic sample capture and transfer6 citations · 2017
- 9Generating real-time robotics control software from SysML4 citations · 2017
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