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Dr. Nathan R. Williams

Applied Science Systems Engineer

About

Bio

Dr. Nathan R. Williams is a planetary geologist and applied science systems engineer specialized in remote sensing of planetary surfaces. At NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, he conducts landing site selection, characterization, geologic assessments, mapping, and spacecraft-based imaging. Dr. Williams has worked on several missions, including but not limited to: NASA’s Mars 2020 Rover Perseverance, Mars Helicopter Ingenuity, Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity, Mars InSight lander, Mars Sample Return (Lander, Fetch Rover, and Retrieval Helicopters), and SpaceX’s Red Dragon and Starship landers.

Education

  • PhD, 2016, Geological Sciences, School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University
  • BS, 2011, Science of Earth Systems, College of Engineering, Cornell University

Achievements

Awards & Recognitions

  • NASA Award | NASA Honors Group Achievement Award, Mars Sample Depot Development Team (2024)
  • JPL Team Award | Mars 2020 Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Campaign Team Award (2024)
  • JPL Voyager Award | Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Downlink Assessment and Flight Planning (2024)
  • NASA Award | NASA Honors Group Achievement Award, Ingenuity Flight Planning Team (2024)
  • JPL Team Award | Mars 2020 Sample Depot Construction Development Team Award (2023)
  • JPL Team Award | Mars Sample Return Council of Terrains Team Award (2023)
  • NASA Award | NASA Honors Group Achievement Award, Mars 2020 Atmospheres Team (2023)
  • NASA Award | NASA Honors Group Achievement Award, Mars 2020 Council of Terrains (2023)
  • NASA Award | NASA Honors Group Achievement Award, Mars 2020 EDL Camera & Microphone Team (2023)
  • NASA Award | NASA Honors Group Achievement Award, Mars 2020 Entry, Descent, and Landing Team (2023)
  • NASA Award | NASA Honors Group Achievement Award, Mars 2020 Ingenuity Helicopter Team (2023)
  • NASA Award | NASA Honors Group Achievement Award, Mars 2020 Instrument Operations Development Team (2023)
  • NASA Award | NASA Honors Group Achievement Award, Mars 2020 JPL Instrument Operations Team (2023)
  • NASA Award | NASA Honors Group Achievement Award, Mars 2020 Pre-landing Strategic Science (2023)
  • NASA Award | NASA Honors Group Achievement Award, Mars 2020 Science Team (2023)
  • NASA Award | NASA Honors Group Achievement Award, Mars 2020 Terrain Relative Navigation Team (2023)
  • NASA Award | NASA Systems Engineering Technical Excellence Award, JPL Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Systems Engineering Team (2023)
  • Paper Award | IEEE Aerospace Conference Track 9 Best Paper Award (2022)
  • Paper Award | Wiley Earth and Space Science top cited article 2020-2021 (2022)
  • JPL Team Award | Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Operations Team Award (2022)
  • JPL Team Award | Mars 2020 Instrument Operations Team Award (2022)
  • Professional Society and External Organization Awards | National Aeronautic Association | Robert J. Collier Trophy, Mars Helicopter Ingenuity Team (2022)
  • Professional Society and External Organization Awards | Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum | Michael Collins Trophy for Current Achievement, Mars Helicopter Ingenuity Team (2022)
  • Professional Society and External Organization Awards | National Space Club & Foundation | Dr. Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy, Mars Helicopter Ingenuity Team (2022)
  • Professional Society and External Organization Awards | Vertical Flight Society | Howard Hughes Award, Mars Helicopter Ingenuity Team (2022)
  • Professional Society and External Organization Awards | Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) | IEEE Spectrum Emerging Technology Award, Mars Helicopter Ingenuity Team (2022)
  • JPL Team Award | Ingenuity Mars Helicopter Operations Team Award (2021)
  • JPL Team Award | Mars 2020 Landing Site Characterization Team Award (2021)
  • JPL Team Award | Mars Time Instrument Operations Team Award (2021)
  • Professional Society and External Organization Awards | Royal Institute of Navigation | Duke of Edinburgh’s Navigation Award for Outstanding Technical Achievement, Mars Helicopter Ingenuity Team (2021)
  • Professional Society and External Organization Awards | Aviation Week Network | 2021 Laureate Award, Mars Helicopter Ingenuity Team (2021)
  • Professional Society and External Organization Awards | The Space Foundation | John L. “Jack” Swigert, Jr. Award for Space Exploration, Mars Helicopter Ingenuity Team (2021)
  • Professional Society and External Organization Awards | Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) | Special Achievements in GIS Award (2021)
  • JPL Team Award | Mars 2020 Project Team Award, Landing Site Selection (2020)
  • NASA Award | NASA Honor Award, InSight Instrument Site Selection Working Group (2020)
  • JPL Team Award | Mars 2020 Project Team Award, Landing Site Selection Safety Assessment (2019)
  • Paper Award | Earth Planets and Space Journal Excellent Reviewer Award (2016)
  • NASA Award | NASA Group Achievement Award, Mars Exploration Rover Science and Operations (2014)

Publications

  • P. Delage, B. Caicedo, M. Golombek, T. Spohn, C. Schmelzbach, N. Brinkman, E. Marteau, J.-P. Castillo Betancourt, N. Murdoch, N. Warner, V. Ansan, B. Banerdt, P. Edme, A. Gomez, K. Hurst, M. Lemmon, P. Lognonné, S. Piqueux, J. Robertson, D. Sollberger, S. Stähler, N. Verdier, C. Vrettos, N. Williams, 2024. “Investigating the Martian Soil at the InSight Landing Site.” Soils and Rocks 47, 3, SR.2024.005023. doi:10.28927/SR.2024.005023.
  • C. Quantin-Nataf, S. Alwmark, F. Calef, J. Lasue, K. Kinch, K. M. Stack, V. Sun, N. Williams, E. Dehouck, L. Mandon, N. Mangold, O. Beyssac, E. Clavé, S. Walter, J. Simon, A. Annex, B. Horgan, J. Rice, D. Shuster, B. Cohen, L. Kah, S. Sholes, B. Weiss, 2023. “The Complex Exhumation History of Jezero Crater Floor Unit and its implication for Mars Sample Return.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 128, 6, e2022JE007628. doi:10.1029/2022JE007628.
  • R. D. Lorenz, S. Maurice, B. Chide, D. Mimoun, A. Stott, N. Murdoch, M. Giller, X. Jacob, R. C. Wiens, F. Montmessin, H. Grip, T. Tzanetos, B. Balaram, N. Williams, M. Keennon, S. Langberg, B. Pipenberg, J. Tyler, 2023. “The Sounds of a Helicopter on Mars.” Planetary and Space Science 230, 105684. doi:10.1016/j.pss.2023.105684.
  • A. Stott, N. Murdoch, M. Gillier, D. Banfield, T. Bertrand, B. Chide, M. de la Torre Juárez, R. Hueso, R. Lorenz, G. Martinez, A. Munguira, L. M. Sotomayor, S. N. López, C. Newman, P. Pilleri, J. Pla-García, J. Rodriguez-Manfredi, A. Sánchez-Lavega, M. Smith, D. Viúdez-Moreiras, N. Williams, S. Maurice, R. Wiens, D. Mimoun, 2023. “Wind and turbulence observations with the Mars microphone on Perseverance.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 128, 5, e2022JE007547. doi:10.1029/2022JE007547.
  • L. S. Crumpler, B. Horgan, J. Simon, K. Stack, S. Alwmark, D. Gilles, R. Wiens, A. Udry, A. Brown, P. Russell, H. Amundsen, S-E. Hamran, J. Bell III, D. Shuster, F. Calef, J. Núñez, B. Cohen, D. Flannery, C. D. K. Herd, K. Hand, J. Maki, M. Schmidt, M. Golombek, N. Williams, 2023. “In Situ Geologic Context Mapping Transect on the Floor of Jezero Crater from Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Operations.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 128, 10. doi:10.1029/2022JE007444.
  • M. Golombek, T. Hudson, P. Bailey, N. Balabanska, E. Marteau, C. Charalambous, M. Baker, M. Lemmon, B. White, R. D. Lorenz, T. Spohn, J. Maki, P. Kallemeyn, J. B. Garvin, C. Newman, K. Hurst, N. Murdoch, N. Williams, W. B. Banerdt, P. Lognonné, P. Delage, R. Lapeyre, E. Gaudin, C. Yana, N. Verdier, M. Panning, A. Trebi-Ollennu, K. Ali, A. Mittelholz, C. Johnson, B. Langlais, N. Warner, J. Grant, I. J. Daubar, V. Ansan, C. Vrettos, A. Spiga, D. Banfield, A. Gomez, P. Mishra, R. Dotson, C. Krause, G. Sainton, T. Gabsi, 2023. “Results from InSight Robotic Arm Activities.” Space Science Reviews 219, 20. doi:10.1007/s11214-023-00964-0.
  • E. M. Hausrath, C. T. Adcock, A. Bechtold, P. Beck, K. Benison, A. Brown, E. L. Cardarelli, N. A. Carman, B. Chide, J. Christian, B. C. Clark, E. Cloutis, A. Cousin, O. Forni, T. S. J. Gabriel, O. Gasnault, M. Golombek, F. Gómez, T. L. J. Henley, J. Huidobro, J. Johnson, M. W. M. Jones, T. V. Kizovski, A. Knight, J. A. Lasue, S. Le Mouélic, J. M. Madariaga, J. Maki, L. Mandon, G. Martinez, J. Martínez-Frías, T. McConnochie, P-Y. Meslin, M-P. Zorzano Mier, G. Paar, C. Royer, S. Siljeström, M. E. Schmidt, S. Schröder, M. A. Sephton, R. Sullivan, N. Turenne, A. Udry, S. VanBommel, A. Vaughan, R. C. Wiens, N. Williams, the SuperCam team and the Regolith working group, 2023. “An Examination of Soil Crusts on the Floor of Jezero crater, Mars.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 128, 10. doi:10.1029/2022JE007433.
  • M. T. Lemmon, R. D. Lorenz, J. Rabinovitch, C. E. Newman, N. R. Williams, R. Sullivan, M. P. Golombek, J. F. Bell III, J. N. Maki, A. Vicente-Retortillo, 2022. “Lifting and Transport of Martian Dust by the Ingenuity Helicopter Rotor Downwash as Observed by High-Speed Imaging from the Perseverance Rover.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 127, e2022JE007605. doi:10.1029/2022JE007605.
  • N. H. Warner, M. P. Golombek, V. Ansan, E. Marteau, N. Williams, J. A. Grant, E. Hauber, C. Weitz, S. Wilson, S. Piqueux, N. Mueller, M. Grott, I. J. Daubar, J. Garvin, C. Charalambous, M. Baker, M. Banks, 2022. "In Situ and Orbital Stratigraphic Characterization of the InSight Landing Site – A Type Example of a Regolith‐Covered Lava Plain on Mars." Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 127, e2022JE007232. doi:10.1029/2022JE007232.
  • H. F. Grip, D. Conway, J. Lam, N. Williams, M. P. Golombek, R. Brockers, M. Mischna, 2022. “Flying a helicopter on Mars: How Ingenuity’s flights were planned, executed, and analyzed.” American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Space and Astronautics Forum and Exposition, Technical Paper. doi:10.1109/AERO53065.2022.9843813.
  • V. Verma, J. Carsten, M. Ravine, M. R. Kennedy, K. S. Edgett, A. Culver, N. Ruoff, N. Williams, L. Beegle, 2022. “How do we get robots to take self-portraits on Mars? Perseverance-Ingenuity and Curiosity selfies.” American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Space and Astronautics Forum and Exposition, Technical Paper. doi:10.1109/AERO53065.2022.9843638.
  • J. Grant, S. A. Wilson, M. Golombek, A. Trussell, N. H. Warner, N. Williams, C. M. Weitz, H. Abarca, R. Deen, 2022. “Degradation at the InSight landing site, Homestead Hollow, Mars: Constraints from rock heights and shapes.” Earth and Space Science 9, 2, 2021EA001953. doi:10.1029/2021EA001953.
  • M. P. Golombek, A. Trussell, N. Williams, C. Charalambous, H. Abarca, N. H. Warner, M. Deahn, M. Trautman, R. Crocco, J. A. Grant, E. Hauber, R. Deen, 2021. “Rock Size-Frequency Distributions at the InSight Landing Site, Mars.” Earth and Space Science 8, 12, e2021EA001959. doi:10.1029/2021EA001959.
  • N. Mangold, S. Gupta, O. Gasnault, G. Dromart, J. D. Tarnas, S. F. Sholes, B. Horgan, C. Quantin-Nataf, A. J. Brown, S. Le Mouélic, R. A. Yingst, J. F. Bell, O. Beyssac, T. Bosak, F. Calef III, B. L. Ehlmann, K. A. Farley, J. P. Grotzinger, K. Hickman-Lewis, S. Holm-Alwmark, L. C. Kah, J. Martinez-Frias, S. M. McLennan, S. Maurice, J. I. Nuñez, A. M. Ollila, P. Pilleri, J. W. Rice Jr., M. Rice, J. I. Simon, D. L. Shuster, K. M. Stack, V. Z. Sun, A. H. Treiman, B. P. Weiss, R. C. Wiens, A. J. Williams, N. R. Williams, K. H. Williford, 2021. “Perseverance rover reveals an ancient delta-lake system and flood deposits at Jezero crater, Mars.” Science 374, 6568, 711-717. doi:10.1126/science.abl4051.
  • S. Piqueux, N. Müller, M. Grott, M. Siegler, E. Millour, F. Forget, M. Lemmon, M. Golombek, N. Williams, J. Grant, N. Warner, V. Ansan, I. Daubar, J. Knollenberg, J. Maki, A. Spiga, D. Banfield, T. Spohn, S. Smrekar, B. Banerdt, 2021. “Soil thermophysical properties near the InSight lander derived from 50 sols of radiometer measurements.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 126, 8, e2021JE006859. doi:10.1029/2021JE006859.
  • D. Savoie, A. Richard, M. Goutaudier, P. Lognonné, K. Hurst, J. Maki, M. Golombek, M. van Driel, J. Clinton, E. Stutzmann, D. Mimoun, W. Banerdt, N. Williams, 2021. “Finding SEIS North on Mars: Comparisons between SEIS sundial, Inertial and Imaging measurements and consequences for seismic analysis.” Earth and Space Science 8, doi:10.1029/2020EA001286.
  • S. M. Hibbard, N. R. Williams, M. P. Golombek, G. R. Osinski, E. Godin, 2021. “Evidence for widespread glaciation in Arcadia Planitia, Mars.” Icarus 359, 114298, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2020.114298.
  • M. Golombek, N. H. Warner, J. Grant, E. Hauber, V. Ansan, C. M. Weitz, N. Williams, C. Charalambous, S. A. Wilson, A. DeMott, M. Kopp, H. Lethcoe-Wilson, L. Berger, R. Hausmann, E. Marteau, C. Vrettos, A. Trussell, W. Folkner, S. Le Maistre, N. Mueller, M. Grott, T. Spohn, S. Piqueux, E. Millour, F. Forget, I. Daubar, N. Murdoch, P. Lognonné, C. Perrin, S. Rodriguez, W. T. Pike, T. Parker, J. Maki, H. Abarca, R. Deen, J. Hall, P. Andres, N. Ruoff, F. Calef, S. Smrekar, M. M. Baker, M. Banks, A. Spiga, D. Banfield, J. Garvin, C. E. Newman, W. B. Banerdt, 2020. “Geology of the InSight Landing Site on Mars.” Nature Communications 11, 1014, doi:10.1038/s41467-020-14679-1.
  • K. M. Stack, N. R. Williams, F. Calef III, V. Sun, K. H. Williford, K. A. Farley, S. Eide, D. Flannery, C. Hughes, S. R. Jacob, L. C. Kah, F. Meyen, A. Molina, C. Quantin Nataf, M. Rice, P. Russell, E. Scheller, C. H. Seeger, W. J. Abbey, J. B. Adler, H. Amundsen, R. B. Anderson, S. M. Angel, G. Arana, J. Atkins, A. Brown, B. L. Carrier, P. Conrad, M. Barrington, T. Berger, R. Borden, B. Boring, H. Dypvik, S. A. Fagents, Z. E. Gallegos, B. Garczynski, K. Golder, F. Gomez, Y. Goreva, S. Gupta, S.-E. Hamran, T. Hicks, E. D. Hinterman, B. N. Horgan, J. Hurowitz, J. R. Johnson, J. Lasue, R. E. Kronyak, Y. Liu, J. M. Madariaga, N. Mangold, J. McClean, N. Miklusicak, D. Nunes, C. Rojas, K. Runyon, N. Schmitz, N. Scudder, E. Shaver, J. SooHoo, R. Spaulding, E. Stanish, L. K. Tamppari, M. M. Tice, N. Turenne, P. A. Willis, A. Yingst, 2020. “Photogeologic map of the Perseverance rover field site in Jezero crater constructed by the Mars 2020 Science Team.” Space Science Reviews 216, 127, doi:10.1007/s11214-020-00739-x.
  • M. Golombek, N. Williams, N. Warner, T. Parker, M. Williams, I. Daubar, F. Calef, J. Grant, P. Bailey, H. Gengl, R. Deen, N. Ruoff, J. Maki, A. McEwen, N. Baugh, K. Block, L. Tamppari, J. Call, J. Ladewig, A. Stoltz, W. Weems, L. M. Sotomayor, J. Torres, M. Johnson, T. Kennedy, E. Sklyanskiy, 2020. “Location and setting of the InSight lander, instruments, and landing site.” Earth and Space Science 7, doi:10.1029/2020EA001248.
  • N. H. Warner, A. J. Schuyler, A. D. Rogers, M. P. Golombek, J. Grant, S. Wilson, C. Weitz, N. Williams, F. Calef, 2020. “Crater morphometry on the mafic floor unit at Jezero crater, Mars: Comparisons to a known basaltic lava plain at the InSight landing site.” Geophysical Research Letters 47, doi:10.1029/2020GL089607.
  • M. Golombek, D. Kass, N. Williams, N. Warner, I. Daubar, S. Piqueux, C. Charalambous, W. T. Pike, 2020. “Assessment of InSight Landing Site Predictions.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 125, doi:10.1029/2020JE006502.
  • C. Weitz, J. Grant, M. Golombek, N. Warner, E. Hauber, V. Ansan, S. Wilson, C. Charalambous, N. Williams, F. Calef, W. Pike, H. Lethcoe, J. Maki, A. DeMott, M. Kopp, 2020. “Comparison of InSight Homestead hollow to hollows at the Spirit landing site.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 125, doi:10.1029/2020JE006435.
  • N. H. Warner, J. A. Grant, S. A. Wilson, M. P. Golombek, A. DeMott, C. Charalambous, E. Hauber, V. Ansan, C. Weitz, T. Pike, N. Williams, M. E. Banks, M. Baker, M. Kopp, M. Deahn, H. Lethcoe, L. Berger, 2020. “An Impact Crater Origin for the InSight Landing Site at Homestead Hollow, Mars: Implications for Near Surface Stratigraphy, Surface Processes, and Erosion Rates.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 125, doi:10.1029/2019JE006333.
  • J. A. Grant, N. H. Warner, C. M. Weitz, M. P. Golombek, S. A. Wilson, E. Hauber, V. Ansan, C. Charalambous, N. Williams, F. Calef, W. T. Pike, A. DeMott, M. Kopp, H. Lethcoe, M. E. Banks, 2020. “Degradation of Homestead Hollow at the InSight Landing Site Based on the Distribution and Properties of Local Deposits.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 125, doi:10.1029/2019JE006350.
  • N. R. Williams, J. F. Bell III, T. R. Watters, M. E. Banks, K. Daud, R. A. French, 2019. “Evidence for Recent and Ancient Faulting at Mare Frigoris and Implications for Lunar Tectonic Evolution.” Icarus 326, 151-161, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2019.03.002.
  • M. Ono, M. Heverly, B. Rothrock, E. Almeida, F. Calef, T. Soliman, N. Williams, H. Gengl, T. Ishimatsu, A. Nicholas, E. K. Stilley, K. Otsu, M. Trautman, R. Lange, S. Milkovich, 2018. “Mars 2020 Site-Specific Mission Performance Analysis: Part 2. Surface Traversability.” American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Space and Astronautics Forum and Exposition, Technical Paper 5419, doi:10.2514/6.2018-5419.
  • N. R. Williams, J. F. Bell III, P. R. Christensen, J. D. Farmer, 2015. “Evidence for an Explosive Origin of Central Pit Craters on Mars.” Icarus 252, p. 175-185, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2014.12.005.
  • T. R. Watters, M. S. Robinson, G. C. Collins, M. E. Banks, K. Daud, N. R. Williams, M. M. Selvans, 2015. “Global thrust faulting on the Moon and the influence of tidal stresses.” Geology 43, p. 851-854, doi:10.1130/G37120.1.
  • N. R. Williams, T. R. Watters, M. E. Pritchard, M. E. Banks, J. F. Bell III, 2013. “Fault Dislocation Modeled Structure of Lobate Scarps from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera Digital Terrain Models.” Journal of Geophysical Research 118, p. 224-233, doi:10.1002/jgre.20051.
  • M. E. Banks, T. R. Watters, M. S. Robinson, L. L. Tornabene, T. Tran, L. Ojha, N. R. Williams, 2011. “Morphometric Analysis of Small-Scale Lobate Scarps on the Moon Using Data from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.” Journal of Geophysical Research 117, E00H11. doi:10.1029/2011JE003907.
  • T. R. Watters, M. S. Robinson, R. A. Beyer, M. E. Banks, J. F. Bell III, M. E. Pritchard, H. Hiesinger, C. H. van der Bogert, P. C. Thomas, E. P. Turtle, N. R. Williams, 2010. "Evidence of Recent Thrust Faulting on the Moon Revealed by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera." Science 329, 5994, p. 936–940, doi:10.1126/science.1189590.