Natalie Watson

Natalie Watson leads the Mission Architectures and Spacecraft Operations team at Project Pearl, LLC. She brings over 15 years of specialized expertise in developing innovative technologies for high-stakes programs operating under extreme cost and schedule constraints while delivering dense science and data for NASA, DoD/IC, and the commercial space sector.

Previously, Natalie served as the Director of Advanced Concepts Technology at BlackSky, where she spearheaded the R&D group responsible for the innovative technology insertion into the next generation of space-based intelligence platforms. Her work there was instrumental in the development of BlackSky’s 35-cm class Earth observation constellation and the design of end-to-end mission architectures for global customers.

Natalie’s career began at Millennium Space Systems, a Boeing Company, where she played a pivotal role in developing the ALTAIR platform, a mostly vertically integrated solution for tactically responsive space. During her tenure, she designed mission architectures for a diverse range of flight programs, from single-satellite missions to complex LEO and GEO constellations, eventually serving as Chief Engineer for NASA’s Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites (TRACERS) program.

She holds a B.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the University of Washington and an M.S. in Space Systems Engineering from Johns Hopkins University.