Brad Williams

Bradley Williams (Brad) is the Associate Director for Flight Programs (Acting) in the Heliophysics Division of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. He oversees more than a dozen missions in operations and approximately another dozen missions in different stages of development.

Before stepping into the Associate Director for Flight role, Williams was a Program Executive in the Heliophysics Division where his assignments included IMAP, a Solar Terrestrial Probe to investigate the acceleration of energetic particles and interaction of the solar wind with the interstellar medium; TRACERS, a SMEX mission to understand the relationship of the magnetosphere and Cusp; HelioSwarm, a MIDEX mission studying the nature of space plasma turbulence; the Solar Cruiser solar sail technology project; and Senior Program Executive of the NASA Space Weather Program.

Prior to his government service, Williams was the Director of Civil Space Programs at Terran Orbital Corporation and before that was a systems engineer on the OSIRIS-REx mission, having asteroid (129969) Bradwilliams named in his honor for his contributions.

Williams is an active member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), previously supporting activities at the section and regional levels and currently serves as a member of the Systems Engineering Technical Committee. He is also a Fellow at the Arizona Center for Civic Leadership.

Mr. Williams holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Mechanical and Systems Engineering from the University of Arizona. He has been recognized for his achievements by being named a Via Satellite Rising Star in 2024 and, a Space and Satellite Professionals International 20 Under 35 in 2024, presented the SSPI Promise Award, and has been awarded the Robert H. Goddard Engineering Team Award, NASA Group Achievement Award, and The University of Arizona College of Science Star Award.