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Will Pomerantz

@pomerantz.bsky.social
1.3K followers 1.7K following 240 posts

Head of Space at AeroVironment - my team makes Mars helicopters. Co-Founder, Brooke Owens Fellowship and Patti Grace Fellowship. Former planetary scientist. Husband, Dad, and Den Leader

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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Good luck and godspeed to all of our applications. Be sure to check out the applicant Slack and all of the other resources created by Brookie alumnae to help applicants!
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
For my connections who are university faculty, advisors, and staff: I ask you spread the word in your departments and across your campus. This program can and has changed lives. You never know when just the slightest nudge could launch an amazing career!
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
the Brooke Owens Fellowship has an incredible track record of seeing you as a whole person and find avenues that where your strengths are not just seen but needed.
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
or whether you show your talent in entirely different ways (like hands-on experience in clubs, entrepreneurial efforts, balancing ambitious schooling alongside full time employment)...
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Undergrads: whether you've got high 'counting stats' (like GPAs, previous internships, letters of recommendation from well known industry leaders) ...
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Brookies have taken many paths into the program, just as they've taken many paths forward to future success.
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
They are brilliant, driven, and creative, to be sure; but they also have a clear commitment to service of their communities, including the community of Brookies.
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Alumnae of our earliest classes are now coming up on ten years in the aerospace industry, and their sustained success re-emphasizes what has been obvious from the start of the program: the "Brookies," as they call themselves, embody everything that can make a person successful in aerospace.
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
📢 The Brooke Owens Fellowship is now accepting applications! Undergrads should apply by October 4th to join the Class of 2027.
Poster promoting the Brooke Owens Fellowship. It includes a description of the program, several photographs of alumni, and links to some of the program's social media accounts.
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
[And also, we flew a superman-style cape on a Mars helicopter terrestrial clone, and can genuinely say that we did it For Science. How fun is that?!?!] youtu.be/GC084vuSVbY?...
youtu.be
Testing a Flexible, Fabric-Based Radar Antenna for NASA’s SkyFall Mars Helicopters
YouTube video by NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
With SkyFall, we are showing how that capability can scale up, how it can do incredible top-tier science, and how it can support future human exploration, while also demonstrating another way to get these vehicles to the surface of the red planet.
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
SkyFall is demonstrating a technology that I believe will be used many, many times. I’ve found incredible enthusiasm in both the aerospace industry and the general public for Mars helicopters that build on the accomplishments of Ingenuity.
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Those performance upgrades are unlocked by a scaled up rotor system, which my team at AeroVironment and our partners at JPL and NASA Ames have been studying for years now, and by other improvements made possible by data from Ingenuity's envelope expansion flights.
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
And they can now operate independent of any rover or other surface system. They can also fly themselves down to from an entry capsule to a safe alnding on the surface of the red planet -- meaning we can explore Mars without needing the cost of a lander or a rover.
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
The SkyFall helicopters will look a lot like Ingenuity, but have several key performance upgrades: the helicopters now have the ability to carry a suite of science instruments (like a Ground Penetrating Radar -- an extremely high value instrument to carry to Mars)
Screenshot from the official NASA SkyFall page with descriptions of the science instruments that will fly aboard the mission's three Mars helicopters.
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
We have been hard at work on these vehicles for several months now, and I'm so proud of my team, which is continuing our perfect track record of having been on budget and on schedule for all of our Mars helicopter projects.
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
In the aerospace community, we get to work on amazing things, don't we? What an incredible honor it is to partner with NASA JPL as co-developers of three new Mars helicopters for the SkyFall mission! www.avinc.com/2026/08/27/a...
avinc.com
AV Awarded Contract for Three Autonomous Helicopters in Support of NASA’s SkyFall Mission to Mars - AeroVironment
AV partnering with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to unlock new research capabilities above and below the Martian surface ahead of a planned 2028 launch.  ARLINGTON, Va., August 27, 2026 – Aer...
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
📢 The @pgsf.bsky.social is now accepting applications! Please spread the word to undergrads who aspire to work in aerospace -- whether that be in the air side or the space side; at a small start up or a well established company; or in an engineering or a non-engineering role.
Flyer promoting the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship
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Patti Grace Smith Fellowship @pgsf.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
ICYMI - Fellowship Applications are open for the Class of 2027 until October 4th! 🧡🚀 Apply here: www.pgsfellowship.org/apply
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
In the words of our Class of 2026 Fellows, this program is "genuinely a life changing experience," "incredibly meaningful," and "truly an amazing experience." Just forwarding along this tweet or the PGSFellowship.org URL could have that kind of impact on someone's life!
pgsfellowship.org
Patti Grace Smith Fellowship
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
So please, spread the word to the undergrads (and faculty and staff) in your networks! I'd love to set another record for applications this year.
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Thankfully, the Fellowship community does a lot to support applicants through some helpful how-to guides, info sessions, and even and applicant Discord server.
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Applications are due October 4th. Our application does require some extra care and thought: applicants have to prepare several essays (including a 'multimedia essay') in addition to the standard resume, transcript, and letters of recommendation.
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
And it's more than just a summer program: for Fellows who want it and need it, this is lifetime membership in a community of aerospace superstars who are truly and genuinely invested in their success.
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
We've designed this program to provide critical resources to undergrads who have the talent & drive to thrive in aerospace, but who are currently on the outside of the industry looking in. Each Fellow receives incredible access, work experiences, mentorship, & financial support.
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
📢 The @pgsf.bsky.social is now accepting applications! Please spread the word to undergrads who aspire to work in aerospace -- whether that be in the air side or the space side; at a small start up or a well established company; or in an engineering or a non-engineering role.
Flyer promoting the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship
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Hourly Cosmos @hourlycosmos.bsky.social · 16/11/2025
Séítah from the air - Ingenuity, sol 133 - From Thomas Appéré (thomasappere.bsky.social) - flic.kr/p/2manaSL
Picture taken during 9th flight of Ingenuity helicopter. Contrast increased.
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 13/11/2025
Godspeed, ESCAPADE! Congratulations to NASA and its partners, especially Rocket Lab and UC Berkeley. And double congratulations to Blue Origin on and incredible day. That was a heck of a lot of fun. So great to see New Glenn GS1 stick the landing. That is very impressive!!
A photograph of Blue Origin‘s new Glenn rocket launching on second ever mission, this time carrying the escapade spacecraft for NASA. Photo credit Blue Origin.The first stage of Blue Origin‘s new Glenn rocket after landing safely on its drone ship. Photo credit: Blue Origin.
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
And the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship was designed specifically to be the best program to help you get into the position to contribute, and ultimately to lead. Applications are due October 17th (that's next Friday). Learn more and apply at pgsfellowship.org/apply
pgsfellowship.org
Apply for the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship! — Patti Grace Smith Fellowship
Our award-winning program provides extraordinary undergraduates with their first work experience in the aerospace industry, personalized mentorship, and a cohort of similarly driven and talented stude...
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
Aerospace work is fun, important, and really, really challenging. We need ideas from every perspective if we are going to accomplish the ambitious things that we all dream of doing. To succeed, we need you.
A Patti Grace Smith Fellow poses with three of his mentors: the former head of the James Webb Space Telescope program, an astronaut who ran NASA for many years, and an astronaut who co-founded the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship.
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
So, undergrads, if you feel like you need more aerospace in your life, please know this: the aerospace community needs you just as much as you need it.
A Patti Grace Smith Fellow smiles and poses in front a mural at her university that reads:

"To most people, the sky is the limit. To those who love aviation, the sky is home."
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
We named the Fellowship after Patti Grace Smith, a vital pillar in the aerospace community and key player the origin story of our modern commercial space industry -- as well as an incredible civil rights pioneer and a true role model of mine.
Patti Grace Smith, then the head of the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation, awards the first ever set of private astronaut wings to Mike Melvill, the pilot of SpaceShipOne.
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
Whether you've been longing to work in aerospace your whole life or it is a potential career path you just recently discovered, if you want in to the aerospace industry, this is your chance!
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
We created the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship for students who are talented, passionate, and just getting started with an aerospace career.
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
Please spread the word to all of the US undergraduates in your network: you have just over a week to complete and submit your application to the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship! pgsfellowship.org
Promotional flyer for the Patti Grace smith Fellowship, which is currently accepting applications for its Class of 2026. The flyer includes many images of past Fellows, a QR code pointing to pgsfellowship.org/apply, and the following text.

"Space is an Attitude" - Patti Grace Smith

An Award-winning, not-for-profit education program providing internships, mentorship, scholarships, and community for undergraduates seeking aerospace careers.

What Fellows Receive:
* 1-on-1 Mentorship from Executives and Alumni
* 2500 Cash Grant + Scholarship Opportunities
* Growing Network + Community of over 170 Alumni
* Paid Summer Internship at leading Aviation, Space, and Defense Companies

Apply at www.pgsfellowship.org
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Garrett Reisman @astro-g-dogg.bsky.social · 05/06/2025
So sorry to see this terrible news. As a rookie astronaut you are randomly assigned officemates when you first show up to NASA and one of them was Marc Garneau. He could not be more kind and helpful. He was an excellent representative of his country and of us all. www.ctvnews.ca/montreal/art...
ctvnews.ca
Marc Garneau, first Canadian in space and former federal minister, dies at 76
Marc Garneau has died at the age of 76, according to a statement from his family. He was the first Canadian to go into space and flew on three space shuttle missions.
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 03/06/2025
As he completed the first ever US spacewalk on June 3rd, 1965, Ed White said: “I'm coming back in... and it's the saddest moment of my life.” It’s a relatable sentiment for far too many in the US space community right now!
Ed White floats in space on the first US Spacewalk. Photo taken June 3, 1965. White is tethered to his Gemini IV capsule; the capsule is out of frame, but the tether extends like an umbilical cord from the torso of White’s spacesuit. The Earth is a brilliant blue in the background of the bottom right corner of the image, contrasted with the black of space in the upper left and the his contrast lighting on the spacesuit, illuminated from the left hand side.
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Kevin Olsen @drksolsen.bsky.social · 22/05/2025
Read about it here, in PSJ, just out in the winter! doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/...
Zoomed-in view of Ingenuity’s fuselage and interior, as adapted from
the Mars 2020 Software Interface Specification. The helicopter camera
locations and viewing frustrums are shown. The yaw (z), pitch (y), and roll
(x) axes are also shown. For example, a given pitch angle corresponds to a
right-handed rotation about the y-axis
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Kevin Olsen @drksolsen.bsky.social · 22/05/2025
Brian Jackson of @boisestate.bsky.social just showed us how he's able to measure wind speed and direction from the tilt of the Ingenuity helicopter on Mars in flight! This is fantastic since the wind sensors on the rovers were damaged. Wind has been something we're missing! 🧵 🧪🔭 #planetsci
Brian Jackson presenting at the M-MATISSE international workshop
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Mathew Owens @mathewjowens.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
We're advertising a 3-year postdoc post on long-term solar activity reconstructions, using data from tree rings, ice sheets, sunspots and spacecraft. Closing date: 4 June. jobs.reading.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...
jobs.reading.ac.uk
Post Doctoral Research Assistant in Solar Activity Reconstructions:Whiteknights Reading UK
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
And thank goodness for that. Keep up the good work! (And if you ever want to talk Mars helicopters, goodness knows I can talk about that til the cows come home!)
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
I've been feeling especially good about my @planetarysociety.bsky.social membership lately. Kudos to @caseydreier.bsky.social, Bill, Jennifer, and the rest of the team for helping bring some sunlight to the inspiring parts and the scary parts of what the future of planetary exploration could be.
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
Technological capabilities, national priorities, and budget constraints have aligned to make low-cost Mars exploration a major focus of the coming years. Ingenuity showed a way to be bold without breaking the bank. Please read my new OpEd in Space News for more! spacenews.com/where-no-rov...
spacenews.com
Where no rover has gone before: how Mars helicopters enable a new era of exploration
One of NASA’s greatest successes of the 21st century thus far came in a very unexpected form: a four-pound helicopter called Ingenuity. Ingenuity created a new Wright Brothers moment when it flew t…
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Gene J. Mikulka @genejm1017.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
Via #FireflyAerospace "#BlueGhost got her first diamond ring! Captured at our landing site in the Moon’s Mare Crisium around 3:30 am CDT, the photo shows the sun about to emerge from totality behind Earth. Hope to have more shots to share soon! #BGM1" twitter.com/Firefly_Spac...
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DutchSpace @dutchspace.eurosky.social · 13/03/2025
Martian moon Deimos seen crossing the face of Mars in this sequence of Thermal Infrared Imager images acquired during the Hera mission’s 12 March 2025 gravity-assist flyby of Mars. source: www.esa.int/ESA_Multimed...
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Planetary Science Institute @psi.edu · 12/03/2025
#JunoCam: This image of Jupiter was snapped during perijov 70 & was processed by Jackie Branc. Perijov is the point in a spacecraft's orbit that is closest to the planet. 🧪 🔭 Credit: NASA / JPL / SwRI / MSSS / @jackiebranc.bsky.social Want to process your own JunoCam images? buff.ly/TxQbD5I
One crescent-like hemisphere of Jupiter in oranges and whites.
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
At the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference for the first time in 22 years! What fun that my career has circled back around to Mars. If you want to talk Mars helicopters, stop by Row 19b #LPSC2025
Me, in front of my poster at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. The poster is titled “Going Where No Rover Has Gone Before: Observing and Exploring Mars by Air”
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
Thanks for the correction! I thought I recalled it being Surveyor 3… but I made the slide 19 years ago, so my memory seems to have been a little off!
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Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) @scar-antarctic.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
🚨 Applications for the 2025 SCAR Fellowships are now open! 🚨 With up to $15,000 in funding and 4–5 fellowships available, this is your chance to collaborate internationally and advance your research. ➡️ Apply by 31 July 2025 scar.org/scar-news/20...
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Will Pomerantz @pomerantz.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
Much of 2025 isn't what I expected or hoped for, to say the least. But this? This is the future we dreamed of, hoped for, and dared to think might be possible!
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