William J. Harris

About

William J. Harris is a leading aerospace engineer specializing in guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) systems for planetary exploration, with a particular focus on safe precision landing technologies for robotic science missions. His most cited work, the 2016 paper "GN&C Subsystem Concept for Safe Precision Landing of the Proposed Lunar MARE Robotic Science Mission," outlines a critical GN&C architecture designed to deliver the Lunar MARE (Moon Age and Regolith Explorer) Discovery Mission concept to a challenging 100-meter radius landing zone near Aristarchus crater. This contribution directly addresses one of the most difficult aspects of lunar exploration: achieving pinpoint accuracy in hazardous terrain. With 5 citations, this paper has influenced subsequent mission designs by demonstrating how advanced navigation and hazard avoidance can enable high-value science in previously inaccessible locations. Harris’s work bridges the gap between theoretical control systems and real-world mission constraints, making him a key figure in the development of next-generation autonomous landing systems for the Moon and beyond.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   GN&C Subsystem Concept for Safe Precision Landing of the Proposed Lunar MARE Robotic Science Mission

   5 citations · 2016

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Contact & Links