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About

Vivek Muralidharan is a leading researcher in space operations and autonomous navigation, specializing in the development of ground-based facilities that emulate microgravity environments for orbital rendezvous and docking missions. His major contributions center on the creation of the Zero-G Lab, a multi-purpose facility designed to test and validate guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) algorithms for spacecraft proximity operations, including on-orbit servicing and debris removal. Muralidharan’s work integrates vision-based navigation and deep reinforcement learning, as demonstrated in his paper "DRIFT: Deep Reinforcement Learning for Intelligent Floating Platforms Trajectories," which introduces an AI-driven suite for controlling floating platforms in simulated and real-world settings. His research has garnered significant attention, with his most-cited paper, "Zero-G Lab: A Multi-purpose Facility for Emulating Space Operations," accumulating 28 citations since 2023. Notable achievements include the development of a forward dynamics-based control framework for emulating on-orbit interactions and rigorous on-ground validation of orbital GNC systems. Muralidharan’s innovative approach bridges simulation and reality, providing critical insights for future space missions and establishing him as a key figure in advancing autonomous space technologies.