Both! For these field tests we were mostly focused on software navigation algorithms. We had to apply optical filters too, just not the same as we’d use on Mars since the Earth environment is brighter.
A test drone flies over the rocky “Mars Hill” in Death Valley National Park (under a special research permit). Photo by Nathan Williams, 2025.
Short article is now out covering our field work in Death Valley National Park and the Mojave Desert earlier this summer! We’re testing new tech and software for future Mars helicopters and aerial vehicles. Photo by me.
www.nasa.gov/solar-system...
#planetaryscience #nasa #nps #photography
A mountain reflects off the still water of Emerald Lake Banff, Canada © 2025 Nathan Williams
A good day for reflection
#photography #banff
Here specifically if you really want the deets: maps.app.goo.gl/KP3btPS2ci1Q...
Beautiful!
Diffuse lighting over a lush farm in a glacially carved valley at 10pm whilst the sun slowly sets. Stryn, Norway © 2025 Nathan Williams
My last photo from Norway, just so beautiful and serene! I greatly look forward to returning someday and exploring more.
#photography #norway 🇳🇴
The start of the Gamle Strynefjellsvegen, a stunning old road running through tundra above Geiranger. Stryn, Norway © 2025 Nathan Williams
Take the road less traveled.
#photography #norway 🇳🇴
Serene blue lake in a lush glacial valley surrounded by mountains. Boverdalen, Norway © 2025 Nathan Williams
A moment of peace and serenity.
#photography #norway 🇳🇴
Snow-capped mountains rise up above the living tundra, as ominous clouds linger overhead. Boverdalen, Norway © 2025 Nathan Williams
“The world is not in your books and maps. It's out there.”
#norway 🇳🇴 #landscape 🏔️ #photography 📷
Meltwater from the thawing snowpack Tindevegen, Norway © 2025 Nathan Williams
The thaw commences
Seasonal thawing of the tundra, with the snow pack parting ways to streams and mossy ground Tindevegen, Norway © 2025 Nathan Williams
Summer finally starting to thaw the snowpack, with runoff streaming across the tundra
Snow melts away to reveal the living tundra Tindevegen, Norway © 2025 Nathan Williams
Sitting at the snow line lingering into the summer
A barren snow and ice covered landscape with a rocky mountain rising above Jotunheimen, Norway © 2025 Nathan Williams
Jotunheimen: the mythical home of giants in ancient Norse lore. Even in summer, its rugged icy mountains feel almost otherworldly, vast and primal.
#photography #Norway 🇳🇴
Snow lingers on mountains well into the summer, but begins to melt off the rocky landscapes Norway © 2025 Nathan Williams
Up up up in elevation, the cold maintains its grasp late into summer, yet here still eventually gives way and thaws.
A very straight road continuing into the distance towards mountains Norway © 2025 Nathan Williams
Now far ahead the road has gone,
And I must follow if I can
Two lambs overlooking the steep valley walls of eastern Sognefjord, with snow-capped mountains in the distance Tindevegen, Norway © 2025 Nathan Williams
Feeling a little sheepish in a big world
#photography
Sognefjord, Norway © 2025 Nathan Williams
Pining for the fjords #photography
An aptly-named Bluethroat Norway © 2025 Nathan Williams
What a gem of a bird! This Bluethroat was as curious and friendly of me as I was for it. 🪶 #birds #photography
Recently hatched baby birds in a nest made of sticks and moss, unknown species (possibly Fieldfare?) Norway © 2025 Nathan Williams
Feeling hungry, with room to grow 🪶 #birds
HQ sent a high priority email asking for feedback “as we conclude [MSR]”. However, we have not been given any direction to actually closeout MSR work.
AFAIK this is notional posturing by HQ to plan to the FY26 PBR until/unless a congressional appropriation bill is passed that says otherwise.
Eurasian Nuthatch Oslo, Norway © 2025 Nathan Williams
Strike a pose! #birds 🪶 #photography
Rocky stream with small waterfalls Norway © 2025 Nathan Williams
Take a deep breath and let the stress gently flow away down the stream
Borgund Stave Church, Norway © 2025 Nathan Williams
Highlight of ancient Norse stylized dragon head wood carvings adorning gables on the roof. Borgund Stave Church, Norway © 2025 Nathan Williams
Highlight of ancient Norse stylized dragon head wood carvings adorning gables on the roof. Borgund Stave Church, Norway © 2025 Nathan Williams
Looking out the covered passageway encircling the church, with the black tar protecting the exterior wood from the elements. Borgund Stave Church, Norway © 2025 Nathan Williams
Hidden in a forested valley carved by glaciers in prehistoric times, the village of Borgund 🇳🇴 retains its epic stave church built circa 1200 C.E. Wooden carvings of stylized dragon heads adorn the gables on the roof, and the wood is darkened by a protective tar.
Exterior of the Gol Stave Church Oslo, Norway © 2025 Nathan Williams
Interior of the Gol Stave Church Oslo, Norway © 2025 Nathan Williams
Wood carvings on the Gol Stave Church Oslo, Norway © 2025 Nathan Williams
A stave pillar inside the Gol Stave Church Oslo, Norway © 2025 Nathan Williams
Often is history obscured, but sometimes it’s boldly preserved and allows you to step back in time to the ancient past.
More would needed a bigger entry vehicle, but 6 can fit in and reuse the same size / design as Perseverance’s backshell, parachute and heat shield without needing to do a complete redesign so that’s easiest/cheapest/greatest heritage.
Plus we know we can land these helis autonomously with good reliability; Ingenuity did it safely 71 times in a row despite more primitive capabilities. So the likelihood that all 6 upgraded helis might fail is extremely low.
The helis are also easily maneuverable and have active hazard avoidance. Adding hazard avoidance to a big cumbersome lander would be very complex, more mass, and more expensive. And a lander would be a single point failure, whereas mid-air deploy of 6 helis gives a lot of redundancy by itself.
Yeah, adding a lander would basically be a whole extra spacecraft and would need to be pretty big, heavy, and complex to carry 6 helis to the surface. And since the payload (helis) can fly themselves, adding a lander would just be kinda redundant.
These helis would have different radios capable of comms straight to orbital assets (MRO, TGO, MVN, etc), without needing another ground base station like Ingenuity x Perseverance.
Yes, within the past few months and I’ve stopped using it as a result
